


Washed in Black

by morgay



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, Character Death, Childhood Trauma, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Infiltration, Inspired by Roleplay/Roleplay Adaptation, Minor Character Death, Murder, Original Clans (Warriors), Past Abuse, Past Character Death, Past Relationship(s), Past Violence, Red Faction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:35:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22560331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgay/pseuds/morgay
Summary: After leaving DriftClan on her own accord, Rainstone finds herself in a predicament that has only two options: fight or die. In order to save an injured cat, she must infiltrate a tyrannical group known as the Red Faction before it's too late, for when the night is washed in black and stars disappear from the sky, blood will soak the earth.
Relationships: Rainstone/Archangel, Rainstone/Twilighthaze





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rainstone meets a stranger and her daughter. Turns out, she and this stranger have a lot in common.

There was something comforting about the way the wind blew back her whiskers and brushed over her blue-gray fur in the dense oak forest. Rainstone closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath, paws leading the way through the foliage, tail sweeping orange and yellow leaves to the side.

For once, she felt _free_. Being away from DriftClan was something she hadn't known for a very long time, but now that she felt this taste of rogue life, Rainstone was sure she'd never return. There was a pang of guilt thrumming in her chest at the thought of Twilighthaze, but... he'd be fine. They didn't need her, and he especially didn't need any of Rainstone's drama. She was much better on her own.

Rainstone continued on the leaf-strewn path before finding a small clearing in the middle of the forest, trees covering the earth in fleeting shadows. She scanned the area for any signs of danger before shrugging to herself. Rainstone hooked her claws into the closest tree and propelled herself upward using her hind legs, scrabbling to the second highest branch. She puffed out and relaxed slightly, glancing toward a squirrel munching on a nut nearby. Rainstone scrutinized it, and once it noticed her expression, it scampered off.

She sighed and laid her head on her paws, the comforting blanket of sleep overtaking her senses. She had dreams of DriftClan, of Twilighthaze, of _Batstar_ — it was definitely interesting. Rainstone was almost happy to be pulled out of her slumber by screeching, then realized that, oh, cats were being noisy for apparently no reason at all. _Annoyances_ , she grumbled in her head, wrapping her tail around her body.

Then, the tangy scent of fox filled her senses. Rainstone's head snapped up and her eyes turned to slits, claws unsheathing and digging into the rough bark below. Memories of her family rushed to her head, and she had a hard time deciding on what to do. _It sounds like cats are in danger... but it isn't my job to save anyone! They can take care of themselves, and if they don't, then that's just natural selection doing its job._

Still, Rainstone couldn't stand the horrible yowling anymore. _Do I have to do everything myself?_ She plunged her back claws into the wood and threw herself from the branch, wobbling on the lower one, catching her balance. Rainstone leapt halfway down the tree and pushed herself off of the side into the dirt, grunting from the impact. She shook the dust from her pelt and padded through the bushes, hissing when a bramble thorn sunk into her paw. _Ugh! Just my luck._

As she continued walking, the sounds grew louder. She narrowed her eyes as the scent grew intoxicating to the point where she could hardly breathe through _fox_. "Eugh." Rainstone shouldered her way to the ground and crept forward, peering through at the scene before her.

A snow-white she-cat was standing in front of her small pale gray kit, claws glinting in the moonlight as she lashed out at the adolescent fox. The sight of that kit sent a lurch through Rainstone's chest, and she couldn't help but feel sympathetic. _Darn it._ The fox made a move and snapped its foaming jaws at the mother, and Rainstone decided it was time to act.

Silent and stealthy, she flew through the undergrowth and used her hind legs to push herself into the fox's shoulder. It whined in pain as Rainstone dug her claws into its back and sank her fangs into its throat. The fox screamed and bucked her off, glaring at her with beady black eyes. It flicked out its paw and sliced her cheek open, new dribbles of blood running down her face. The stinging made Rainstone's heart pump and the adrenaline began to flow. _Excitement_.

She snarled and dove under its belly when it reached forward toward her throat. Rainstone slid her claws over its sensitive skin and gasped when it shoved its paw into the side of her jaw. She was thrown away from the fox and tasted copper in her mouth, struggling to stand. Before it could make a move toward her, the white she-cat slashed her paw over its left eye. That sent it howling into the forest, retreating for good.

"Dear gods," the mother whispered as she jogged over to Rainstone, looking over her with wide amber eyes. There was something distinctive about the strange cat's accent that she couldn't quite place. It was thick and foreign and sent shivers down her spine. "You must be healed— quickly."

"'M fine," Rainstone managed, shaking the blood from her fur and staggering to her paws. She nearly stepped on the kit, not even realizing it was right under her feet.

"Zephyr," the she-cat said disapprovingly, glancing sharply toward her kit. "You must stay out of way!" Rainstone realized this cat didn't seem to have a complete grasp on the language, but didn't mind. It was kind of comforting.

"Zephyr..." Rainstone looked down at the pale gray kit. She blinked back up with round brown eyes and showed a toothy smile. "What does it mean?"

The mother eyed her and eventually relaxed. "Wind."

"Wind..." Rainstone nodded and crouched down to meet the kit's eye level. "Hi there, Zephyr. That was a close call. Are you alright?"

"We good, thanks to you!" the mother said, purring warmly. "What is name?"

"Rain— Rainstone." She'd debated on using her old rogue name, using 'Rain', or sticking with her warrior name. Warrior name it was. "You?"

"Hoot." She grinned and wrapped her plumy white tail around Rainstone's flank. She nearly jumped out of her skin, taken aback at the sudden touch, but forced herself to stay calm. _It's fine. She's not going to hurt you_. "Heal?"

"Heal?" Rainstone frowned slightly. "I'm fine. It's just a few cuts."

Hoot rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue. "You too young. When get old, you understand heal!"

 _What?_ Rainstone didn't completely understand, but shrugged and followed anyway. Hoot led her into a small cave sprawled out underneath the base of a towering oak tree and shuffled in the corner before turning with a mouthful of herbs. "Eat," she ordered, setting them down and pushing them towards Rainstone.

 _It doesn't look like Deathberries or Deadly Nightshade, so I suppose I'm safe._ Rainstone lapped the herbs up quickly, cringing at the taste, and flicked beads of blood from her ears. Hoot slid forward and pressed cobwebs over her cuts, using precise accuracy to cover the wounds entirely.

"You're a healer?" Rainstone asked, using her paws to wipe smeared blood from her chest.

"Heal. Yes." Hoot nodded and glanced outside to see Zephyr chasing a leaf. Her amber eyes softened and she purred. "Leave group with daughter. We run."

"You ran from your group?" Rainstone backed away once Hoot was finished healing her, and hummed thoughtfully. "Where did you live?"

"Mountain." Hoot tilted her head at her. "You look like mountain cat. You mountain too?"

"What?" Rainstone spluttered. "No. I..." She trailed off and frowned, following the white she-cat back into the clearing. Her back paw dragged slightly from the pain, but she clenched her teeth and decided that she could deal with it. "I'm from the forest."

"Then I am from water!" Hoot laughed, sitting down across from her daughter.

"What are you saying?" Rainstone looked at the she-cat then back at herself. She couldn't deny the similarities — both of them had large paws, well-muscled legs and shoulders, and skinny bodies. Rainstone hadn't ever seen another cat that looked so much like her, save for her father and brothers. Zephyr looked similar, but was stockier than her mother.

Hoot sighed softly. "Mountain cat all look same. You...." She squinted at Rainstone. "Look like me. We from same home. Must be."

 _The same home?_ Rainstone shook her head. "But we're not. I'm from the forest — that's where I was born."

"Perhaps." Hoot laughed when Zephyr jumped on her tail, purring. "But father or mother come from group. Trust me." The white she-cat paused. "What.... parents' names?"

Rainstone froze in place for a moment, sinking her claws into the ground to keep herself from swaying. She could taste the bile in her throat and her ears flicked back. "Tansy," she said shakily, "and Bling."

Hoot froze. Rainstone composed herself and threw a glance over at the foreign she-cat. "What?"

"Bling..." Hoot shook her head. "It cannot be."

"What?" Rainstone pressed.

Zephyr cut into the silence when she yowled and tussled on her mother's back. Hoot sighed. "Bling.... I knew father, long ago."

Rainstone couldn't believe she was hearing this. The she-cat stepped back, nearly tripping over her own paws. "You're lying."

"No." Hoot looked alarmed at having spooked Rainstone so greatly. "No lie."

"How do you know it was even him?" she snapped, fur fluffing up.

Hoot stared at Rainstone. "He was...big. Blue, your fur." She looked like she was struggling to find the words. "He— he had white paw. Yes. Blue eyes."

Rainstone took a small step back, shaking her head slowly. No. It couldn't be true. "I...it's... it's him, that's what he looked like." She clenched her teeth and turned away, memories flashing behind her eyelids.

The white she-cat stepped forward, bushy tail curling instinctively. "It is okay."

"No! It's not!" Rainstone whirled around and stuck her muzzle in Hoot's face, snarling. "Why didn't he tell me?"

Zephyr looked up curiously, fluffy ears twitching, then returned back to playing.

"Calm," Hoot said, narrowing her green eyes slightly. _Is she telling me to calm down?_ Rainstone had a hard time keeping her temper, but decided to listen anyway. "Bling was— fighter. He want leader. He want it so bad he kill Dark Cry. Bling exiled. We never see him again."

Rainstone nearly scoffed. _I wonder, if he'd survived any longer, if he ever would've told me this?_ Unlikely. Her father had hated her with a burning passion. _If only he could see me now._ "Well," she said in a low voice, tail twitching back and forth angrily. "He's dead now, anyway."

"Dead?" Hoot frowned. "How?"

The blue-gray she-cat gulped in a breath of air. "Foxes."

Hoot's eyes widened slowly, possibly in understanding, or maybe sympathy, and she dipped her head. "I sorry for loss."

Rainstone turned away, fur across her back bristling. "Don't be. He was a horrible cat. I'm glad he's dead."

The mother was silent.

Rainstone shoved her eyes shut, trying to distract herself from her grief. No matter how she said it, or how she thought about it, some small part of her would always miss Bling.

Hoot turned her head, smiling softly at Zephyr. "It late," she murmured to Rainstone. "Rest?"

"Rest." Rainstone chuckled humorlessly and eyed the she-cat. "Tomorrow. Tell me where you come from."

Hoot looked at her warily. "You... sure?"

She met Hoot's gaze evenly, blue eyes flashing. "Yes," she said thickly. "I'm sure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to a new story! This is based on the character I roleplay in the Fallen Light Discord group. 
> 
> For more background information, I first played Rainstone's foster father, Batstar (based on Batchaser, from Bound to Stars). He adopted her when she was a rogue kit but eventually committed suicide, leaving her with no family. Rainstone grew close to Twilighthaze, the medicine cat, and they eventually became mates.
> 
> Unfortunately, Rainstone decided to leave DriftClan and break her relationship with Twilighthaze off. This story begins only a few days after her departure.
> 
> This story certainly won't be as long as Bound to Stars, but it'll still be pretty sizable! I currently have 12k words on my Google Doc, so I'll make sure to keep updating daily until I reach where I am now.
> 
> I hope you enjoy! Feel free to leave a comment. I'd love to hear your feedback.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hoot and Rainstone talk about the past. She decides to help.

A warm spray of golden light fell upon the earth, streaking rays of color upon the den. Rainstone's eyes cracked open and she yawned. Her whole body felt sore, fur matted and claws broken. The she-cat grunted to herself, pulling away from Zephyr — who had curled up next to her — and slid out of the den. Hoot was nowhere in sight.

Shrugging to herself, Rainstone bunched her muscles and leapt onto the bare tree trunk, wood peeled away with time. She turned her head and began to groom her unkempt fur, eyes narrowed in concentration, paws still as she went to work.

"Rainstone," a voice called.

She jerked her head up, instinctively leaping to her paws, tail flicked out. Rainstone relaxed when she recognized Hoot, three plump mice dangling from her jaws. Rainstone leapt down from the trunk, tufted ears twitching.

Hoot purred warmly and set the prey down. "Eat," she said, brushing past Rainstone and disappearing into the den.

Rainstone eyed the mice warily, sniffing one as she crept closer. It smelled fine. Next, she inspected it for any cuts, however, the mouse was clean except for where the killing bite was. _No deathberries inside here._ Content, Rainstone crouched down, dragging the prey away and beginning to dig in. She tore a morsel from the mouse, savoring the taste for as long as she possibly could.

After a moment, Hoot ducked back out of the den, Zephyr trailing on her paws. "Is mouse good?"

Rainstone nodded silently, looking at the pale gray tabby kit, questions burning on the edge of her tongue. Why were they here? Where was this kit's father? Where were they going?

Hoot glanced at Rainstone and smiled softly. "You have question?"

The dappled blue-gray she-cat bristled slightly. She hated when other cats knew exactly what she was thinking. _Just like Twilighthaze always did._ Pushing away the pain in her chest, Rainstone nodded slowly. "Yes. Why did you leave the mountains my father is from?"

The white she-cat's smile dropped into a small frown. "Oh," she said wistfully, tearing apart the mouse for Zephyr to eat. "We...not welcome. She-cats not fit in. Mate die after help us escape."

"I'm sorry," she said genuinely.

Hoot shook her head and tried to smile. "We safe now. No sorry."

Rainstone nodded. "Where are you going next?"

The white she-cat shrugged, pausing. "Where you from, Rainstone?"

Rainstone froze, jaws hovering right above the mouse. She tried not to show her discomfort for too long. "Doesn't matter."

"Who raise you? After Bling? Mother?" Hoot continued to question.

She bristled. "They both died," Rainstone snapped, glaring back at the white she-cat. "My brother died, too. Everyone left me to die. But I was nursed back to health by a group of cats, and they raised me."

Hoot frowned. "Why here now?"

"Because I hated it there!" Rainstone fumed. Her fur spiked. "They stole me! My fath- Batstar, he pretended like he cared about me, then decided to off himself when I needed him most. Everyone hated me. I didn't fit in. I wasn't _one_ of them." The she-cat's voice turned low and bitter. "The only thing that kept me there was Twilighthaze."

Hoot looked slightly uncomfortable, but curious at the same time. "You... love Twilighthaze?"

Rainstone didn't move for a moment. _Did_ she love him? "I would do anything for him," she said carefully, "but we weren't meant to be together. I wasn't ever meant to be in DriftClan."

Hoot shook her head slowly. "But-"

"Stop asking me questions!" Rainstone snapped, glaring at Hoot. Zephyr flinched. "It doesn't matter anymore. It's in the past. Maybe... maybe I should go to the mountains."

Hoot jumped to her paws. "No," she said quickly, shaking her head. "Dangerous. They kill she-cats. Do not go."

"What, and you just left them there to die?" Rainstone scowled.

"I... had to." Hoot's voice dropped to a whisper. "They kill mate. Kill daughter. I only save Zephyr." Her leaf-green eyes watered.

Rainstone's hackles lowered slightly. She looked at Zephyr, who was still munching on the mouse, oblivious to the conversation. "She hasn't spoken."

Hoot brushed her muzzle over Zephyr's tufted black ears. "Has not since escape," she murmured, voice thick with grief.

 _Only moons old and already mute. Already scarred_. Rainstone forced her gaze away from Zephyr and looked at Hoot imploringly. "Then at least show me where to go."

Hoot shook her head. "No. Cannot let you."

"You don't want to avenge your family? The family they killed?"

"There is nothing to 'avenge.'" Hoot said the word like it was foreign on her tongue. "We run. We live. We safe now."

 _But you'll never stop looking over your shoulder, will you?_ Rainstone sighed. "You don't want to go to where I'm from, then. There is war, death, and disease. It is not a golden pathway. Come with me to Twolegplace and I can find you and your daughter a home. A safe home, where you'll never have to worry again."

Hoot looked unsure. "What... is Twoleg?"

"I don't know. I've never seen one."

"Then how you know it safe?"

"The Clans say the cats that live there live in luxury. Twolegs look over them. If they wanted, they wouldn't even have to hunt." Rainstone thought about her best knowledge on kittypets. She'd never met one, but figured the Clans could be right about one thing.

Hoot looked at her daughter, paws scrabbling slightly in the dirt. "I... I guess if safer than forest, we go."

Rainstone nodded seriously. "Okay. We should rest before we set out. It's a long way." She'd only seen the edges of Twolegplace glowing against the horizon as she stood on the mountains. It was far.

"Okay." Hoot hesitated, looking genuine. "Rainstone... thank you. For help."

The blue she-cat felt something weird in her belly. She hated being thanked. Still, it would do no good to be rude and defensive now that they were traveling together. "Sure," she mumbled, leaning down and tearing away at the mouse again.

 _But what will I do after we reach Twolegplace?_ Rainstone silently shook her head to herself. She didn't need to plan, not yet. Maybe, some day, she'd go to the mountains. But for now, she wanted to let her paws lead the way.

_Wherever the sun rises, I will follow._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really plan out these chapters in Google Docs, so each chapter will probably have a different number of pages/words.
> 
> Anyway, I have 5 completed chapters so I'll probably get most of em up today! Hope you still enjoy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Batstar visits Rainstone. After, she has an encounter with an odd family.

_"What are you doing?"_

_The land was warped in color, blending around the edges of Rainstone's gaze. Her eyes narrowed and she turned, trying to find the source of that familiar voice. She couldn't figure out who it belonged to, though. "Where are you?"_

_"With you. Always."_

_Rainstone froze as a breath blew down her neck. She slowly turned, fur on end as she stared back at Batstar. The tom was looking down on her with soft blue eyes, black fur filled with speckles of stars. Rainstone jerked back, heart thrumming against her ribcage. "This is a dream! Leave me alone!" Why did it feel so_ real _, though?_

_"It is a dream." Batstar nodded, smiling. "I'm in LightClan. Don't you know that?"_

_The blue-gray she-cat quickly shook her head. "No. LightClan doesn't exist. It was just made up by your stupid Clans!"_

_Batstar looked pained. Rainstone eyed his dead paw, except now it seemed to work, and her fa- foster father almost seemed younger. "It does," he murmured, unmoving. "I'm really here. I've been watching over you, since..." He trailed off._

_Rainstone scoffed and glared at him. "You can't even say it, can you?" She shook her head. "You're just a coward. I don't want to talk to you."_

_"Rainstone," he said thickly, moving forward as she stepped back, "just listen to me. Please. I... I had a hard life. I couldn't do it anymore."_

_"Oh, boo-hoo!" Rainstone snarled. "Why should I care? You left me! You didn't even say goodbye!" Emotion clawed at the back of her throat and tears flecked her eyes. "AGH!" She pushed her paws to her face. Why did she have to get so sad sometimes?_

_"Please," Batstar begged, stepping forward, touching his paw to hers. "Just-"_

_Rainstone jerked forward, flinging her foster father off of her. She growled in anger and leapt on top of Batstar, immobilizing him, chest pressed against his back. "No, you listen to me," she snarled. "I saw my family die in front of me. And after you saved me, I grew attached to you. I- I_ loved _you, like a father, even. And after Thymepaw was attacked, after I was knocked out for all those days- I wake up and find out that you aren't even alive anymore. That you left me. Left me alone, like everyone does!" Rainstone's voice broke. "You ruined me. You... you made me feel worthless. And I hate you for it."_

_Batstar was silent._

_Rainstone shook her head and jumped off of him, flexing her claws. "Not even going to say anything?"_

_He heaved himself to his feet, expression completely shattered. "I have nothing to say. You're right."_

_"Yeah, I know."_

_"I was scared," Batstar admitted, frowning. "I lost the cat I truly loved more than anyone else in the world. When she died, I... I felt empty. I wanted to help you, Rainstone, I did. But I couldn't even help myself. I didn't want to ruin you, so I said goodbye while you were asleep... apologized for everything. And I left, hoping you'd make a better life for yourself than I ever did."_

_The confession left Rainstone rattling. "I didn't hear you," she whispered. "When I was unconscious."_

_Batstar closed his eyes. He wasn't half blind anymore, either. "I hoped you would."_

_"What... did you say?" She trembled slightly, fur flattening. Rainstone couldn't believe this was happening. It had to be a dream. There was no way this was real._

_He opened his blue eyes, smiling softly. "I told you that I loved you, and that I was sorry for what I was about to do. I told you that I wanted you to be named Rainshower, but it wasn't up to me, only Thistlecloud. And most of all, I told you that I'd always be with you no matter what."_

_Questions burned on the edge of Rainstone's tongue, but she didn't act on them, instead keeping them buried inside her head._ Why Rainshower? Who is this cat you love more than me? What was your life like? _Instead, Rainstone looked away. "Why did you wait to come to me now?"_

_Batstar twitched his tail. "You weren't ready."_

_"And now I am?" she snapped. "Right after I leave the Clans? Right after I try and push my past behind me?"_

_He shook his head. "Rainstone, your past is a part of you. If you want to truly be content, then you have to accept what happened. I know that now."_

_Accept what happened? "What, like Hoot? Accept that my family was killed, that I was hated in DriftClan, that you left me? Why? Why shouldn't I get revenge? I am not a coward. I will not back down. Not like_ you _, Batstar."_

_Batstar frowned. "It is not weak to accept help, nor is it to let things go. Let go, Rainstone."_

_Rainstone scoffed. "Unlike you, I won't be letting go of any ledge. I will avenge my family. I will avenge Hoot and her daughter, and no one is going to stop me. Especially not you."_

_Batstar flinched._

_"I'll never be ready to listen to you because I don't need to listen to you." Rainstone backed away, where tufts of clouds shrouded her vision. "You're dead, Batstar. Do me a favor and stay that way."_

Rainstone's eyes snapped open and she jerked, bumping her head on the bed of roots above them. She sighed, heart beating rapidly as she breathed in. _It was just a dream. It wasn't real._

She calmed herself slightly, tail flicking in Zephyr's face. Rainstone groaned and scrabbled out from under the dip, dirt clinging to her pelt as she did so. _Great. Now I have to clean myself again!_ Angrily, Rainstone stomped into the depths of the pine forest, trees towering around her as she walked. Anger bubbled in her chest, ready and waiting to be released.

 _Batstar left you, and then he has the audacity to return- if he even did, mind you!- and say you need to let the past go? He has some nerve!_ A snarl wrenched from Rainstone's throat and she whirled around, slashing her claws against the tough tree bark. She reared back and struck again and again until crimson trickled from her ripped claws, and suddenly Rainstone was crying, emotion much too strong for her to ignore. _Everyone leaves! Everyone leaves me!_

Rainstone's chest heaved with each breath and she bowed her head, trying to contain herself. Batstar was dead. The past was behind her. Why did she need to grieve over things that had already passed? It was better to move on and use her power for better things, like helping Hoot and finding the mountains. _I can do this. I just have to believe._

Muffled voices filled Rainstone's ears and she frowned, turning her head slowly.

"Well if _you_ weren't such a fox-heart, maybe we wouldn't be having this conversation!"

"Oh, that's _low_ , considering it's coming from _you_!"

More hissing made Rainstone's head rattle and she groaned, sliding through the undergrowth. Her eyes narrowed as she shielded herself behind a screen of bushes, peering out into a clearing. Two cats were standing there, one red and one gray, spitting insults back and forth at each other.

" _Me_? Hah! You're the one that went off with your little _mistress_!" the red she-cat taunted, muscles rippling under sleek fur.

"For the last time, Widow, she wasn't anything more than a traveler! I helped her back to the path! Are you seriously blaming me for _helping_ an innocent cat?" the gray tom snapped back, thick and scarred tail lashing.

A sudden weight on her back caused Rainstone to puff out a startled breath. "Don't move," a tom warned. "Charcoal?"

The gray tom's head snapped back. "What?" he asked, annoyed.

"Someone's spying," the stranger said. Rainstone growled when she was pushed forward into the clearing, whirling around to look at the tom. He had splotches of red and gray tabby fur, sky-blue eyes staring back at her. A smile spread across his jaws. "Who might you be?"

"Oh, no," Charcoal muttered, then louder, "Let her go, Robin. Your mother and I have talked about your 'pets.' It's time to grow up."

 _Pets? Oh, this is_ not _happening._ Rainstone glared back at Robin then turned to the two older cats. "It's not spying if I heard you from a mile away," she grumbled.

Widow moved forward, batting Robin away from her. "What's your name?" Her gaze was cold and sharp.

Rainstone narrowed her eyes in return, letting the cold take over her entire being. Widow shifted when she noticed the change in demeanor. "I'm Rainstone." Her voice was light and chipped.

The red she-cat frowned, eyeing Robin. "Did he find you?"

"No. I found you, with the yelling and all that."

Widow turned her head to glare at Charcoal. " _See_? I told you someone would hear!"

"You're not _helping_ , Mother!" Robin snapped. "I told you we needed to be quiet. Now we have to leave. _Again_."

"Who said you were calling the shots around here?" Charcoal growled, glaring at Robin. " _I'm_ in charge. Get that through your thick skull."

"Agh! I should kill you!" Robin snapped.

Rainstone jerked out of the way, caught off guard when Charcoal flashed out a paw. He swiped his claws against Robin's cheek and drew blood. Robin flinched back, eyes wide. _Looks like he's all bark and no bite._

"I should kill _you_ for disrespecting me like that," Charcoal hissed, "in front of a stranger, no less! Who do you think I am, kit?"

"Charcoal, enough," Widow sighed. She turned toward Rainstone. "We apologize for being loud. You can go return from... wherever you came from."

Rainstone was interested, though. "Who says I came from anywhere?"

Widow raised her eyebrows. "Oh, yeah, whatever, _sure_. You're _definitely_ not from the mountains!"

 _Why is everyone telling me I'm from there?!_ Rainstone heaved back a snarl. "Well," she said, clipped, "keep it down, will you? We're trying to sleep. It's way too early for this!"

"We?" Robin said, interested, wiping the blood from his injured cheek. Charcoal grumbled something and Widow looked interested.

"Yes, _we_ ," Rainstone managed, tail flicking back and forth. "We're just passing through, but we need rest. So... go somewhere else to yell."

Before anyone could respond, Charcoal's eyes trailed from Rainstone to the ground. "Oh. It's a kit."

Rainstone jumped when something brushed her leg and she hissed, glaring down at Zephyr. She blinked up at her with bright green eyes. "Stars! Why aren't you with your mother?" Rainstone snapped.

Zephyr tilted her head in response.

"Is this who you're traveling with?" Widow asked, amused.

Rainstone sighed. "Yes, she's one of them."

"We'd best take you home," Widow said, stepping forward.

The blue she-cat narrowed her eyes in defense. "No, thanks. We're fine."

"It's dangerous," she continued, smiling as she walked by Rainstone. "Come on."

"I don't need protection. Neither does this... _thing_." Rainstone glanced at Zephyr with distaste.

"Too bad." Robin pounced in front of her, bending his head down to Zephyr. "Hi, little kitty. What's your name-?"

Rainstone smacked her paw at the bicolored tom, teeth poking out into a snarl. " _Don't_ touch her, you creep."

Robin almost looked offended, skidding back quickly. "I was just saying _hi_!"

"Well, don't. Don't talk to her, don't stand near her, don't even _look_ at her."

He grunted, turning away. "Whatever you want, Your Highness," he mumbled, catching up with Widow in a few short strides.

Rainstone sighed, looking down at the pale gray she-cat. "Now look what you did," she growled, leading the way back toward the tree trunk. Zephyr waddled behind.

Charcoal twisted his head around and stopped, letting Rainstone catch up with him. "So. What's her name?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Why do you care?"

"I'm just asking."

"Yeah, well."

The gray tom looked amused. "Yeah, well? That's a nice name."

Rainstone rolled her eyes. _Kill me now_. "Wow, quite the jokester, aren't you?"

"Maybe." A pause. "Where is your group headed?"

She regarded him carefully. _What would Twilighthaze think of him?_ Rainstone frowned. She needed to stop thinking of him, stop trying to understand his intuition. It was like some kind of superpower Rainstone would never be able to level with. "Twolegplace," she said carefully.

Charcoal's ears flicked in surprise. "We've heard about that place. Is it nice?"

"Do you think I would be going for a nice little visit if I didn't think it was?" Rainstone snapped.

The gray tom frowned. "Jeez, calm down. I was just asking."

"Some things are better left unsaid." Rainstone huffed and swiped Zephyr in her jaws, bounding ahead of Widow to lead. She ducked through overgrowth and made it into the familiar clearing.

Hoot whirled around, green eyes wide. "Rainstone!" she cried, running forward.

She dropped Zephyr. "Hey."

"I thought you dead," the white she-cat sobbed, shaking her head as she clutched Zephyr with brutal force.

Robin snickered. "You talk weird."

Widow swatted at him.

Hoot raised her gaze, fur bristling slightly as she eyed the three new cats. "Who this?" she asked suspiciously.

Rainstone grunted. "Widow, Charcoal, and Robin. They insisted they help me bring Zephyr back, as if I couldn't do it myself."

"It's dangerous out there." Widow smiled and padded forward, dipping her head to Hoot. "Hello there. We're no trouble."

The white she-cat curled her tail protectively around Zephyr. "Hello." Hoot's accent was just as thick and foreign as ever.

Widow tilted her head. "You're not from around here, are you?" She sized up Rainstone, Hoot, and Zephyr. "You family?"

"No," Rainstone growled, pushing herself away from the group. "Now, we got here, we're safe, feel free to leave."

Charcoal padded beside Widow and muttered something in her ear.

"No thank yous?" Robin asked sarcastically.

She peeled her lips back. "Yeah, if you want to get hurt, maybe."

The red-and-gray tom frowned and shrunk back, cheek still bleeding slightly. Hoot noticed and perked up, guiding Zephyr into the root-covered den. When she returned, Zephyr was gone, and there was a bundle of herbs in her mouth. "Here," Hoot said, sitting beside Robin, lifting her paw to place cobwebs on his cheek.

He jerked back, eyes wide, caught off guard. "What are you doing?!"

Hoot looked alarmed. "I heal. Stay still."

Rainstone forced herself not to laugh. "What, do you not know what herbs are?"

Robin winced when the cobwebs were pasted on his cheek. "Uhm, I don't really use herbs, so..." He rolled his eyes when instructed to lap up poppy seeds for the pain.

"Okay," Widow interrupted, standing taller than before. Her eyes gleamed. "We'd like to come with you to Twolegplace."

Robin spit out the herbs in his mouth.

Rainstone's eyes widened in disbelief. "I'm sorry, _who_ invited you along?"

Charcoal shrugged. "Twolegplace sounds nice. We want to travel with you."

She shook her head quickly. "No. You and your creepy son are _not_ coming with us."

Widow made a face. "Well, we don't know the way. Please, we need a home. A _good_ home."

Hoot stepped away from Robin and made her way beside Rainstone. "It okay," she reassured with a nod. "Let them come. More protection."

" _Protection_? Where?" Rainstone scrutinized the three cats. "They'll just drag us behind."

"We won't," Charcoal vowed, dipping his head. "We'll be right beside you."

Rainstone sighed softly, glancing at Hoot. "Fine," she said slowly, turning back toward the three cats, "but if you slow us down, we won't hesitate to leave you behind."

"Noted," Robin muttered.

"Okay," Widow replied, yellow eyes gleaming. "We won't let you down."

 _Wonderful_ , Rainstone thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise, there's action. Just....next chapter :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group reaches Twolegplace, but an accident causes a few problems.

The trek had been long — longer than Rainstone had imagined. Widow, Charcoal, and Robin were actually keeping up quite well, and Widow occasionally looked after Zephyr when Hoot needed a break.

Rainstone still wasn't entirely sure whether or not she trusted the others. Hoot was well enough, as was Zephyr, but something about Charcoal irked her. She couldn't put her claw on it. _He's almost like Thistlestar — hiding something. And I want to know what it is._

She came to learn of the others' interesting quirks very quickly. Hoot, in all her foreign glory, had a difficult time turning away any cat that needed help. So, when two rogues stumbled upon the group, mangled and bleeding everywhere, she helped them and invited them to come along.

Rainstone became better friends with Widow than any of the others, though. She respected the she-cat for her quick wit and intelligence, though believed that Widow was far more manipulative than she let on. Still, Rainstone figured it would be nice to have another cat to talk to, and Widow seemed to mold perfectly with her own personality.

Robin, on the other paw, was just weird. He wore flower crowns and decorated his nests with flowers and plants — even if they were temporary. He was quiet and stealthy, and had something about him that intrigued Rainstone. Still. He could be annoying, so Rainstone left him out of most conversations (yet he always seemed to know about them later...).

Charcoal was quiet; he and Widow hadn't been arguing as much. He was gruff, made jokes sometimes, but there was still a level of discomfort Rainstone couldn't pinpoint. His smiles were too forced and even the way he moved was unnatural. Rainstone tried not to focus on him too much, but it was hard, especially when he always demanded to know what she and Widow were talking about.

Anastasia was one of the new rogues Hoot had so graciously let travel with them. She was a small, petite, sleek-furred honey-golden she-cat that had a soft spot for the weak and helpless. She became quick friends with Hoot, which was nice, and even talked to Robin sometimes.

Badger was the other rogue that had been traveling along with Anastasia. Rainstone learned he was her older brother from another litter, different father, and was very protective of his sister. He was huge, muscular, and scarred. Badger's black-and-white splotched fur was often matted and unkempt. Still, he was intimidating, so most newcomers they came across scrambled.

Lastly, Zephyr was still silent. She liked to play with Robin and hung closely to Hoot and Widow. She liked being told stories, and Rainstone found herself reciting she and Twilighthaze's journey to the new territories. It was then that the whole group gathered, sat down, ate, and listened. Sometimes, Rainstone even felt like she _belonged_. Her heart would swell in her chest and she'd realize nothing like this would've ever happened in DriftClan. She was free, surrounded by new faces, and Rainstone was finally getting to see the world she loved.

"So, that's when we fell down the cleft," Rainstone said, stretching her legs. The sun was dipping below the skyline, long fingers of pale pink and orange streaking across the darkening sky. "I was trapped beneath the rocks and Twilightpaw had to help me. We spent _hours_ trying to dig me out, but even when I gave up and told him to leave, he kept going." The memory pushed a pang into her heart but Rainstone shook it off. Twilighthaze would survive. He was fine.

"What happened next?" Anastasia asked, wide-eyed.

"She died," Robin muttered sarcastically.

Rainstone rolled her eyes at the grumpy bicolored tom. "No, I didn't die. Twilightpaw managed to get some rocks loose and I escaped, but not without some injuries. He started hunting for us — which was not a pretty sight — and healed my leg until I could walk again."

Zephyr smiled.

"Did you come across any more trouble on the way?" Badger asked, flexing his claws. "I can't imagine falling in a rockslide is the only thing that happened."

Rainstone frowned, tilting her head up toward the sky. "I think I'm done telling stories," she said, rising to her paws and walking to the side of the clearing.

The others exchanged glances and Widow shrugged. "I have a few good ones, then."

Charcoal smiled. "Yeah, those were good times."

"Before I met you."

"What, we never had any good adventures?"

"No, not really."

As the chatter continued, Rainstone turned her back slightly, head tilting as she peered into the darkness of pine trees. How much longer would it take to reach Twolegplace?

"Rainstone?" a quiet voice asked. The she-cat glanced over at Hoot, who walked up and sat beside her. "How you?"

The blue dappled she-cat hesitated, tail flicking back and forth. "Fine," she said, eyes narrowing slightly. "I just wonder how much longer this journey is going to take."

"Not long," Hoot said. "I feel it. We close."

Her ears flicked up in surprise. "How do you know?"

The white she-cat followed Rainstone's gaze into the forest. "I just know."

Hoot was, somehow, true to her word. By tomorrow afternoon the group would reach the edges of Twolegplace. Anastasia and Badger were more familiar with the territory, and warned the others about cars — huge contraptions Twolegs traveled in. They were quick to run over Thunderpaths and, so far, had no accidents at the hands of Twolegs.

Well. Until _Robin_.

They'd been in Twolegplace for one night, and Robin had decided it was a great idea to go pick a flower growing from the middle of a Thunderparh. However, a car rumbled forward and smashed into his body, skittering blood all over the pavement.

"You idiot," Rainstone hissed as she ran toward the limp tom, heart beating heavily in her chest. The others, save for Widow and Hoot, stayed on the grass, watching the ordeal with wide eyes. Rainstone pushed Robin's shoulder and turned him over. His back leg was dislocated and his shoulder looked wrenched. Crimson stained Rainstone's paws and she shook, grabbing Robin by the scruff and dragging him back toward the sidewalk.

"I-" Hoot's breath fell short as she stopped beside the younger tom, eyes wide. Badger was shielding Zephyr's sight, and Anastasia was trying to distract the kit from the scene. "We no have accidents like this in mountain. I do not know how fix!"

Charcoal stomped up. "Well, try!" he snapped, bushy ringed tail lashing. "What can we do to save him?"

Robin groaned under Rainstone's pressure. She let him go and stared down at him, trying not to show her disgust. _Why would you do something so stupid, Robin? Now you've slowed us all down!_

Widow was shaking like a leaf. "Robin, stay awake," she said, trying to smile, voice wobbling. "Okay? Don't fall asleep, Robin. Stay with us. We're going to find you help."

Hoot flinched back. "I- I sorry, I cannot help," she said, voice falling flat.

"Oh, that's a nasty one," a strange voice called.

The group whirled around, staring wide-eyed at a brown tabby cat that sat atop a nearby fence. His whiskers twitched and he smirked, ticking his claws as he watched.

"Who are you?" Charcoal demanded, standing protectively near Robin, whose breaths had turned into dull wheezes.

The brown tom shrugged, tail curling around the side of the fence. "I'm no one in particular, really. Who are _you_ , though? You cats look interesting. Haven't seen your kind before." He met Rainstone's cold, hard gaze.

No one said anything.

"I can help him," the tom shrugged.

Badger looked at him uncertainly, turning his head to Rainstone. "He wants something," he muttered.

The blue dappled she-cat frowned. "What could he possibly want from _us_?" Rainstone narrowed her eyes and stepped forward, garnering the tom's attention. "How can you help him?"

"Leave that to me, Gumdrop," he said with a lazy smile.

Rainstone bristled at the nickname, but tried to focus on the current problem. "Then what do you want in return? How can we repay you?"

He placed a claw to his chin, feigning some deep thought. "Oh!" He smiled with all his teeth. "I want a bluejay. A big one, a male, not the females, they're brown. Give me one of those and I can help him."

"A _blue jay_?" Charcoal asked, dumbfounded.

Rainstone looked back at her group- _the_ group- and frowned. Widow was hardly paying attention, Charcoal's steely and dubious gaze on the brown tom. Badger and Hoot looked unsure. Anastasia was still distracting Zephyr.

"Fine," Rainstone finally snapped, turning around. "A blue jay it is."

"Wonderful." The tom leapt down from his place, striding confidently over to the group. Charcoal curled his lip but the strange tom paid him no mind. "I'll take him to my Twoleg. They'll fix him up in no time."

" _Twoleg_?" Widow demanded, head snapping up. Her yellow eyes lapped with fire. "We are not giving my son to one of those creatures!"

The tom spread his paws out. "Relax," he laughed. "Trust me. It's fine."

Badger hesitantly stepped forward. "It's true," he said, jerking his head back toward Anastasia. "We used to live with Twolegs. They're nice."

"A car just ran him over!" Charcoal spat. "How are they _nice_?"

The strange brown tom hummed. "Well, whatever, if you don't want the help..."

"No," Rainstone butted in, shaking her head. Charcoal glared at her. "Robin needs the help. Do what you have to do."

He tilted his head at her. "What a strange creature." He sidled up to her. "Thanks for believing in me, Gumdrop."

She forced her paws to stay rooted to the ground despite the burning urge to claw his face off. She didn't appreciate nicknames unless they came from Twilighthaze. "Go," she said sharply. "Take him."

"When will he be okay?" Hoot asked, worried.

The tom shrugged. "A few days, I imagine. Just stick around here and bring me that jay in the morning. We can talk then."

"I can carry him," Badger offered.

Widow nodded shakily and stood up. "Okay, Robin, you're gonna get help, yeah?" She helped push her son on Badger's back. The blood blended into his fur, only apparent when it was splashed against his gray tabby markings.

"Mmmm," Robin mumbled incoherently.

Badger scrabbled up the fence, holding Robin on his back, and dropped to the other side. He followed the strange tom to the backyard, stopping at the back door, letting Robin slide off to the ground. He hopped back up on the fence, sitting beside the others that watched. The tom began to yowl loudly for at least two minutes until a Twoleg stomped to the door and opened it. Then, it paused, bending down and touching Robin. After a moment, it picked Robin up and took him inside, closing the door behind it.

"Well," the tom said, "he should be good."

Rainstone narrowed her eyes.

Charcoal leapt down, lips curled into a snarl. "How do you know?" he demanded. "What if they take him?"

"Charcoal," Widow sighed, jumping next to him and rubbing her tail over his back. "Calm down. Don't you trust Rainstone?"

Me? The blue she-cat blinked and turned with a confused look on her face. "What do you mean?"

Widow raised a brow. "You're like... our leader. I figured you knew that."

Rainstone nearly choked. _Leader? Far from it!_ She shook her head and turned back to the brown tom. "What's your name?"

He smiled cheekily, resting his head on his paw as he laid down. "Why do you want to know?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Well, you know mine."

The brown tom hummed softly. "Oh, fine," he gave in with fake defeat, still grinning. "I'm Gingersnap."

Rainstone looked surprised. "That sounds like a warrior name. Do you come from the Clans, too?"

Gingersnap raised his brows in interest. "No, but I'd love to hear all about it~"

"Will you stop flirting?" Charcoal snapped, dark gray fur bristling.

Rainstone glanced at him. _Flirting? Stars, who does he think I am?!_ A burst of anger flooded through her chest but she pushed it down.

Widow rolled her eyes.

"We need some place to rest," Charcoal continued. "We-"

"Oh," Gingersnap interrupted. Charcoal glared at him. "I don't actually care about the blue jay. I was just saying that in front of the little one."

Rainstone turned her head. It looked like Hoot, Anastasia, and Zephyr were on the other side of the fence. "Okay," she said carefully, returning her blue gaze to him, "what do you need, then?"

He flexed his claws and sighed. "Well, you look like a group of young, able-bodied whippersnappers. So I uh... I'd really like a problem I have dealt with."

Charcoal growled. "You lied!"

"I'm probably older than you," Widow remarked.

"I didn't lie," Gingersnap shrugged, then smirked, "and baby, I'm infinite. I never age. I'll always look this handsome~"

"Get _on with it_ ," Rainstone hissed.

The tom huffed. "Okay, well, the city is unsafe for a cat like me. Really, any housecats are struggling to survive right now. The Red Faction has taken over, and their territory is only growing. If they see any cat that isn't one of theirs on the territory, they kill them!" Gingersnap bristled slightly, showing the first hints of anger Rainstone had seen from him. "They got my friend, Lily, who was gonna give them some secret information about one of the other factions, but she was lying. So I really need this favor."

"And what exactly are _we_ supposed to do?" Charcoal glanced at the group. "Hoot and Zephyr can't come."

"Nor can Anastasia," Badger said, eyes gleaming. "She can't fight, and I don't feel good leaving her back here, defenseless."

"Who said they'll be defenseless?" Gingersnap asked. "I can fight."

" _You_ can fight?" Rainstone asked dubiously. _Yeah, sure, and I can fly!_

"What can I say?" He smirked. "I'm full of surprises."

"You still haven't told us what we need to do," Charcoal said.

Gingersnap looked between the four cats, thin tail twitching. "I need you to go to the Red Faction, sneak inside their camp, and set Lily free." He paused, smiling. "See? Easy."

Rainstone groaned softly. "And if we don't?"

The brown tom shrugged. "Then you won't get your injured friend back."

Charcoal jumped forward in a flash of gray fur, screeching as he attacked Gingersnap. The brown tom quickly rolled out of the way, age and size making it easy to move. "You cheated us!" Charcoal snarled. "You liar! You _liar_!"

Widow grabbed Charcoal's shoulders and threw him back, shaking her head. "Attacking this cat won't help. If we want Robin back, we have to do what he wants."

Rainstone glared at Gingersnap, suddenly feeling helpless. Had she led them this far in vain? The blue she-cat turned to look at Charcoal, who was struggling in Widow's grasp. Badger stood on the sidelines, brows drawn forward. Returning her gaze to Gingersnap, Rainstone breathed in and stepped forward. "Widow is right," she said. "If we want Robin back... then we have to do this, whether we like it or not."

Widow nodded. "Exactly."

Charcoal squirmed out of his mate's grasp and snarled at Gingersnap, silent for a moment. "Fine," he eventually said, voice dripping with venom, "but when we finish your little _favor_ , I'll kill you. So you'd best watch your back, housecat."

Gingersnap tilted his head. "Well," he hummed, unimpressed, "I'll certainly be watching."

Rainstone's tail flicked and she pushed Charcoal's shoulder. "Come on," she mumbled. "We have to make a plan."

 _And once this is over_ , she thought, closing her eyes, _maybe I can finally find these cats a home._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand here's our rising action~! That....will stay that way for a while at least. Next chapter is definitely awesome and fun and interesting but I'll torture you guys until tomorrow.
> 
> Thanks for reading! You're all wonderful. Hope you're enjoying so far!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rainstone meets a cat from the Red Faction. A deal is made.

The shadows splattering over the alleyway swallowed Rainstone's blue pelt as she walked. Her eyes flickered from side to side, claws clicking on the pavement below her.

Rainstone craned her muzzle up toward the black sky and frowned. _Moonhigh already?_ She'd been out for hours, attempting to follow the unclear directions Gingersnap had given to the Red Faction's camp. The labyrinth of streets and alleys certainly wasn't helping, either.

After the ordeal with Gingersnap and a few ambiguous directions, Rainstone had filled Hoot and Anastasia in on their current predicament. The rest of the group stayed put as Rainstone scouted the territory. It was her that had gotten them into this mess, after all.

Now, she was lost, completely alone, and totally confused on where to even go. _Did he say left or right here?_ Rainstone shook her head and ground her teeth together, pounding her paws into the puddles beneath her. _How stupid could she be? I can't even follow basic directions. How am I meant to free a cat in the heart of this faction's camp?_

"You lost?"

Rainstone suppressed her urge to jump, tail bushing slightly as she turned. At the mouth of the alleyway stood a stark-white tom, shadows of Twoleg-made lights illuminating behind him. Bright golden eyes flashed as the tom walked forward, and three stretches of clawmarks scarred across his shoulder.

"I said," he repeated, "are you lost?"

The blue she-cat bristled slightly. "No, of course not," she scoffed.

"Are you sure?" He was medium-sized, about the height of Rainstone — she figured she could take him in a battle if it came to that. "Most cats don't walk onto our territory on purpose."

"What territory?" Rainstone asked, brows furrowing.

The white tom made a face. "Okay, so you _are_ lost." He looked her up and down. "You don't look like you're from around here. Tell me, what are you doing on Red Faction territory?"

_Holy stars. I found it. And I've already been caught!_ Rainstone tried to find her voice, but it died in the small of her throat.

He smiled with too many teeth. "That's the face of realization and horror many cats make. However, you don't have to worry. I won't turn you in."

"Why?" she asked in a pathetically useless voice. Her strength really wasn't showing here.

The tom sighed, walking forward slowly. Rainstone backed up farther into the alley. "I can't say I'm entirely fond of my faction. We're almost at war with the others, my father is horrible, my mother is dead..." His eyes flashed.

_There are other factions?_ Rainstone tried to think of something to say. "I'm... sorry," she managed.

He nodded. "I am, too. I think we can help each other, though."

Rainstone narrowed her eyes. "How?"

"Help me find my brother. He's in my faction somewhere."

The blue she-cat couldn't control the appalled look that came across her face. "He's in your _faction_? Why don't you find him yourself?"

"Our territory is very wide," the white tom said. "He could be anywhere."

"Your territory is too _wide_?" Rainstone scowled. "I'm not going to fetch your brother because you're lazy."

"I'm not _lazy_." The tom's claws unsheathed, glinting in the pale moonlight. "We were split up when we were four months old. We have different jobs in the factions. I'm a Runner, and he's a Crafter. It is forbidden for any cats from different jobs, even in the same faction, to see each other without exclusive permission."

Rainstone shook her head slowly, trying to wrap her mind around this mind-boggling code. _So they're like a Clan?_ She supposed she could try and understand their ranks, just as she had with DriftClan. "Okay," the she-cat said slowly, tail flicking, "what do you want me to do about it?"

The white tom shrugged. "I don't know. Just find him and tell me he's okay."

She scoffed. "I can't be that far into your territory and I was already caught. How am I meant to sneak into a camp by myself to find your long-lost _brother_?"

He smiled again, but the light certainly didn't meet his eyes. "I suppose you'll have to join our ranks yourself."

_Join your ranks._ Rainstone froze, heart rate speeding up. There were flashes of Batstar behind her eyelids saying the same thing, and thoughts began to play with her head. _I just left one group, and now I'm being asked to join another. Will I ever escape?_ She growled. "And how am I meant to do that, exactly?"

"I'll take you to my job's leader. You'll be transferred over to the Officials by then, and unfortunately, your fate will be out of my paws. However," he added, "if you prove yourself and don't piss our faction leader off, you'll be assorted into a fitting job. Hopefully that will be a Crafter." A pause. "And, well, if you don't, I'll just take you in now and you'll become a prisoner. If you're lucky, you'll live a week. If you're luckier, you'll be a slave."

Rainstone huffed out a breath. _Officials? Crafters? Slaves?!_ The she-cat's claws scored over the ground, eyes narrowing. She was completely bewildered, but knew that infiltrating the faction was her best choice if she didn't want to die immediately. _Besides, I promised that I'd help us get Robin back. If this is the price I have to pay, then so be it_. Still, she had her doubts. "If I do manage to join your faction's ranks, then who's to say I won't just run?"

"I'll find you," he said. His voice sent shivers down Rainstone's spine. He was telling the truth. "I'll make sure you never feel safe again. You'll be watching your back for the rest of your life, wondering whether or not I'm coming for you. And when I do eventually find you, because I always do, I will kill you."

A knot formed in Rainstone's belly, twisting and turning harshly. _I have to do this. I have to find his brother_. Her gaze hardened. "If I do this, then I need you to do something for me."

The white tom looked slightly amused, whiskers twitching. "I'm sorry, do you not understand the concept of blackmail?"

"I do. However, there's a reason I'm here. I could use your help, and since this plan will work in your favor, I think you might be interested."

He tilted his head. "Pray tell."

"I'm here to rescue a cat — a prisoner, maybe. Her name is Lily. I'm unsure of how slaves work, so tell me — if Lily isn't already dead, would it be possible for you to take her as your slave?"

He hummed softly. "Yes, that would be possible, I suppose. You're lucky my father's a high rank."

_Do I care?_ Rainstone kept her jaws shut, though, nodding slowly. "Good. Then while I find your brother, you can have your own personal slave. You can do whatever you want to her besides kill her. When I eventually locate your brother, you give her to me, and we'll be on our merry way. Problem solved. We both get what we want."

"Interesting," he laughed, golden eyes shining. "Most cats would never dare of talking their way out of blackmail. Luckily, I like you. And this plan does work for me. I will accept."

"I have your word?"

"Yes. You have my word."

Rainstone nodded. "Okay."

"Well, we'd best get going." He looked behind him. "My shift ends soon, and the sooner you join the faction, the better."

"Hold on," Rainstone said, eyes narrowing as she met his gaze. "I have a group and I need to tell them what I'm doing."

He furrowed his brows. "Do you think I'm stupid? If I let you go, you'll never return. My blackmail will be pointless."

"Then come with me," she stressed.

"I'm sorry, I don't think you understand the parameters of my job. I can't just come with you."

"Well, then say you got kidnapped and I saved you!"

"Weakness is hardly tolerated in the Red Faction, dear."

Rainstone curled her lip. "I can't just leave them. And my bet is that I can outrun you either way, but I won't, because I truly need to find this cat."

"Maybe," he said slowly, "but I know my territory, and I can also navigate alleyways with much more efficiency than you can. Bets are on me this time. You're out of luck here. Even if I did believe you, I can't risk it. Besides." He yawned. "I'll only take your prisoner if she's alive. If she doesn't exist, then, well, deal's off."

"Okay." Rainstone ran a paw down her forehead, stressed. This was worse than Twilighthaze confessing his feelings to her! "Say I do manage to find Lily. If I show her to you, will you deliver a message to my group?"

The tom's ears twitched. His eyes flickered back and forth in thought. "Alright," he said, nodding. "I can do that. But I need to see this cat for myself."

"Done."

He smiled again. "Wonderful. Let's go." He turned on his heel, leading the way to the mouth of the alley without another word. Rainstone hesitated then followed, falling in step with the white tom.

"So," she said, trying to figure out something to say. "What's your name?"

"What's yours?"

She narrowed her eyes. "I asked first."

A pause as he considered. "Archangel."

Rainstone eyed him, not completely understanding the name, but not intent on questioning it. "I'm Rainstone."

"Where are you from, Rainstone?" he asked, bunching his muscles and leaping on a trash can.

The blue-gray she-cat frowned, following behind. "The north." She scrabbled up a ledge and pressed herself against the brick, trailing behind Archangel as he clambered on a pipe leading to the top of a building.

"We don't get many visitors from there," he said, wind blowing through his white fur as he paused. "Why did you come to the city, if I may ask?"

Rainstone averted her gaze. "Long story." Her eyes widened when Archangel suddenly sprang forward, closing the space between two buildings. Rainstone looked down at the open alleyway below. _If I don't make this jump, I die._ The she-cat held her breath and pushed herself from the edge of the building, barely making it to the other. Her heart beat against her ribcage as she slowly stood.

"You'll have to get used to those jumps," Archangel said, continuing to walk. The next jumps became easier, and most of them were less wide than the first.

"Well," Rainstone said, finally catching up to him, "tell me how your faction works."

Archangel hummed. "Well, we have our faction leader, who has complete power over the faction. Currently, ours is Blackbird. The oldest child of a faction leader successes them. If the eldest child dies, it's the second oldest next. Faction leaders are required to have children by fifteen moons of leadership — otherwise, they can be run out by their advisors."

Her ears flicked. "And if they are run out without children?"

"Their mate becomes the faction leader."

"What if they don't have a mate?"

Archangel tilted his head. "Well, I don't think that's ever happened before. However, I imagine the eldest advisor would become the next faction leader."

"Okay," Rainstone said, squinting in thought. "What's next?"

"Well, advisors are picked specifically by the faction leader," Archangel explained, jumping another building. Rainstone followed suit. "There can be up to ten of them, or perhaps just one. An advisor is closest to the faction leader and helps with difficult decisions, such as wars or rebellions. They most often step in when the faction leader is temporarily unable to perform their duties." He stretched, maw gaping into a yawn. "Officials are cats that make decisions for the faction leader, mostly for things that are less significant and less serious. For example, they may meet with other faction leaders if needed, and do inspections of each job to see what needs to be changed. They decide what problems need to be addressed to the faction leader."

"And... the jobs?"

"There are many. I'm a Runner, which is a cat that delivers messages, scouts the outskirts of the territory, marks borders, fetches supplies, and gathers any outside information. My brother is a Crafter, which are cats that create amor, intricate designs to differ our faction from others, and inventions that could be useful to the faction."

"I'm sorry, _armor_?" Rainstone's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "How does that happen?"

"Crafters make it out of wood, usually."

_That's insane_ , she thought, shaking her head. _These cats are weird_. Still, she was intrigued. "Go on."

Surprisingly, Archangel seemed happy to. "Guards obviously guard rank leaders, officials, advisors, and the faction leader and their family. Warriors fight against other factions and protect the faction."

_Warriors_ , Rainstone thought, a pang clenching against her chest. The memories were bittersweet. Mostly bitter, though.

"Job leaders are, obviously, the leaders to each job. They are appointed by Officials based purely on skill and behavior. Job leaders are..." Archangel's eyes flashed and he trailed off, attempting to find words. "Ruthless. The Red Faction has so many cats that they'll kill or injure anyone that doesn't listen to them. They don't care who they hurt." A scowl formed on his muzzle. "My father is the Runner leader. He... he doesn't like me very much."

_I suppose I know something about that._ Rainstone thought about her real father and how much he'd seemed to hate her just for being a she-cat. Maybe she and Archangel were more alike than she'd originally thought. "What about pregnant cats? And kittens?"

"They have their own camp. When a kitten becomes of age, they're assorted into their jobs by job leaders, who choose usually based on looks, personality, and behavior. A Warrior will be a large, able-bodied cat. A Runner will most likely be someone lean. A Crafter will be gentle but sturdy. Job leaders are expected to choose wisely. As for pregnant cats, they return to their original jobs when their kittens turn four months old and are sent off. Most families, unless stuck together, never see each other again after that."

_What a horrible way of life,_ Rainstone thought, trying to control her frown. _I can't imagine growing up like that. Those poor kits aren't old enough to begin their jobs! How many of them die, I wonder? How many are killed because their job leaders didn't put them into the right job?_

When Rainstone didn't respond, Archangel continued. "Prisoners are cats brought in from the outskirts of the territory by cats like me. Although, I can kill them if I want. The faction doesn't really care." He shrugged, nonchalant. Rainstone hid her horror. _They kill cats that easily? Like it's nothing?_ Maybe she and Archangel weren't so alike after all. "Prisoners are usually used to test newcomers' skills. They don't last long either way. However, if an Official wants them to live, they might. Some prisoners become slaves under a certain cat and must do whatever they want, unless they want to die. But those are only for higher-ranking cats."

She shook her head, averting her gaze. Rainstone couldn't look at him. DriftClan seemed like a breeze compared to this, and she hadn't even seen the Red Faction's camp! _Why did I ever agree to this? I could've left. I could've abandoned these cats. They don't need me._

Guilt wormed in her chest, though. She didn't want to admit it, but just in the past few days, she'd formed a real connection with Hoot and Widow. _And Robin's gone, being held hostage by that stupid kittypet... I need to do this. For them._

The rest of the trek was silent. As time went on and the moon paved a path across the alleyways, Rainstone saw a cat. It poked its head out from behind a trash can and narrowed glowing amber eyes. Soon enough, several dark shapes slunk from the shadows.

"Back to sleep!" a tom snarled, making Rainstone jump.

The cats that had begun to gather around quickly scampered away, pawing through holes in buildings and curling up next to piles of trash. _Stars. What is this?_ Rainstone frowned and looked at Archangel, but he wasn't paying attention to her. Following his gaze, Rainstone saw the tom from a moment ago step into view, muscles rippling under silver tabby fur.

"Archangel," the tom said, pale yellow eyes slitting as he eyed Rainstone. "Didn't your shift end a while ago? You should be in the cots with the others." His voice was slightly accusatory.

"Well, _Father_ ," Archangel said, eyes narrowing. Rainstone froze. "I found this cat on the outskirts. She wants to join us."

A paw swiped into view and knocked Archangel clean off his paws. Rainstone jerked away, caught off guard. His father snarled, glaring down at Archangel. "Us? We are not the only cats here, son. You disrespect Blackbird's name with your selfish antics." The silver tom's cold gaze swept to Rainstone, looking her up and down. "What would we need with a she-cat, anyway? You should have killed her."

Archangel hid his anger, stumbling to his feet and flanking Rainstone. "You haven't seen her fight. She defeated a rogue in two hits." His golden eyes gleamed and Rainstone closed her eyes, breathing in heavily. _Let's hope, if needed, I can show my skills... without failing._

"Slate!" a harsh voice called from deeper in the alley. A well-muscled brown tom came into view, bushy, scarred tail flicking.

The silver tom quickly turned on his heels, bowing his head. "Bone."

Archangel glowered at his father but eventually bowed as well, ears twitching. "He's an Official," he muttered under his breath, raising his head once more.

_An Official. Isn't that a cat that can get me to their faction leader?_ Rainstone blinked, masking her hope with an emotionless stare.

Bone looked at Rainstone. "Prisoner?"

"She wants to join us," Archangel said.

A growl rumbled in Slate's throat. "We should kill her." He turned, claws unsheathing, glaring at Rainstone. "Say the word and I'll do it."

Rainstone's gaze flickered to the trash bins and pipes, trying to route her escape just in case. _Duck and blow, disorient, teeth on throat._ She practiced the killing move in her mind. _I will not die today._

"No." Bone pushed Slate backwards with a paw, glancing at Archangel. "Did you find her?"

He nodded wordlessly.

Bone hummed. "You are a gifted young cat. If you believe she's skilled enough to join us, I trust your judgement. However." He leaned closer, flashing yellow teeth. Archangel didn't flinch back. "If she fails, it'll be on you for wasting our time."

Archangel didn't even glance at Rainstone. "Okay." He stepped back, finally meeting her gaze, and there was a glint there. _Looks like I have to win—for both of us._

Stars. Having other cats count on her was _exhausting_.

Bone nodded and looked at Slate, whose shoulder fur was bristling. "Go to sleep. All of you. We'll see how she does in the morning."

Despite looking like he wanted to argue, Slate dipped his head and turned away. Archangel swirled around and ducked into a den hidden behind a layer of cloth.

Bone stood next to Rainstone, jerking his head forward. "Come on." He led the way down the alleyway, and her pelt was once again swathed in shadows, streaks of moonlight cutting in through decrepit and crumbling buildings. They traveled through a maze of interconnected tunnels for what seemed like hours until making it to a more stable building than the others she'd seen. Wordlessly, Bone flicked his tail and walked inside, the cold air washing away with the shelter. "This is where our leader is. You can meet with him in the morning at dawn."

Rainstone narrowed her eyes but said nothing. The building was huge — a set of spiral stairs led up to a second level and drapes of cloth hung from the ceiling. Only a few other cats were in sight, but seemed to be guards posted in certain areas. They didn't even glance at Bone or Rainstone. _Huh_...

"Here." Bone ducked into a wide, empty room where a set of four nests lay. "You'll sleep here for the night. Another cat will wake you in the morning." Without another word, he exited the room and disappeared into the shadows.

Rainstone watched him leave and forced her fur to lie flat. She observed her surroundings, tail twitching, and hesitantly made her way to one of the nests. It was cold, rough, and itchy. _Stars. Has this thing ever been cleaned?_ She grit her teeth and pushed through her discomfort, circling the nest before dropping to her stomach.

Craning her muzzle upwards, Rainstone spotted a wide hole in the ceiling. She saw the moon, the stars, and even Silverpelt. Her eyes widened slowly but she forced her gaze away. _Stop thinking about the Clans. Stop thinking about... him! I'm not there anymore. You have to move on._ But she couldn't get those dark blue eyes out of her head, the smell of sweet herbs and sunflowers, the softness of his gray fur as she leaned against him.

It felt like Rainstone's chest caved in. _I'm so sorry, Twilighthaze,_ she thought, keeping her emotion in her throat. It would do no good to cry. _I hope you're able to move on. But me..._ She looked outside of the dark room, curling her tail around her body. _I don't know if I ever will._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter I've pre-written! From now on it'll take a few days to post, but I actually finished writing these first five chapters in three days, soooo...who knows! Next chapter might even be up today.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Any ideas on what's gonna happen next? I'd love to hear~ your feedback is greatly appreciated and makes my day! Thanks everyone!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rainstone meets Blackbird and has to prove her skills to join the Red Faction.

Rainstone hadn't slept well. Soon after Bone had left, the paranoia set in and she remained in her nest, keeping one eye open at all times. She certainly didn't trust the Red Faction, so why should she trust she wasn't going to be massacred right now? It would be better to be prepared in case of the worst.

When streaks of dawn light fell through the wide gaping windows, Rainstone groggily lifted her head and wiped her eyes. Had she slept at all? Maybe a few hours, but nothing substantial. _And today I'll have to fight. That's what Archangel said the prisoners are used for._

Despite being exhausted, Rainstone didn't doubt her skills. She could take a half-starved cat in her sleep. That still didn't stop the anxiety burning in her chest and the guilt worming angrily in her belly. _How are Hoot and Widow? What about Robin? Do they think I left them?_

Rainstone knew she needed to find Lily soon. _And once I do, I can locate Archangel's brother and finally leave this place. I'm ready to move on already!_ Her impatience was wearing thin, and Rainstone was sure that losing her temper wasn't going to be a good thing in the Red Faction.

She sighed, thoughts swirling around her head. Rainstone lifted herself to her paws, cringing at the way her pelt itched from the horrible nest. She bent her head and groomed the twigs out, hissing when they pricked her skin. _Seriously, how shabby can this place be?_ They took better care of the dead in DriftClan.

When the first hints of sky blue flooded a new burst of color into the sky, the cloth curtain at the entrance of the room shivered. Rainstone's ears flicked up and she eyed a huge black tom with yellow eyes.

He furrowed his brows, twitching his thick-furred tail. "You the newcomer?"

"Uh. Yeah?" she said. _I think._

"Good." He nodded. "Come." He turned, and just like Bone, said nothing more.

Rainstone forced herself not to roll her eyes and followed behind the tom, ears twitching away a gnat. They clambered up two steep rows of Twoleg-made stairs to a second story of the building. Up here, the area was nicer, white marble walls towering around her. Guards were posted at every corner here, and they looked at the black tom and nodded. "Sable."

He dipped his head and continued on. They traveled through several large, open rooms before making it to another curtain of cloth. "Bow when you go up to him," Sable said, and entered.

 _Bow?_ Rainstone could hardly imagine it. Still, she needed to pretend she cared, so sighed and pushed her way through the curtain.

The room was huge. There were pristine Twoleg beds scattered around the room. Three guards stood at the entrance and another four stayed close to the back of the room. The ground lifted slightly to a plump red chair, and on top was a sleek black tom.

His eyes immediately lit up in interest at the sight of Rainstone. _Blackbird_. She forced herself not to shiver at the look in his gray eyes and clacked her claws against the ground as she walked forward. Blackbird was average-sized, maybe even smaller than her, and his fur was well-kept and shiny. Silver tabby spirals splattered over his back and face, forming a white muzzle and ear tips. His teeth gleamed when he smiled and Rainstone immediately noticed the three claw marks scarred against his shoulder. Looking around, every cat had one. How had she not noticed?

Rainstone stopped before the rise in ground, hesitating before dipping her head. _I don't think I've ever bowed in my entire life._ Looking back up, she saw Blackbird's whiskers twitching. "So," he said, voice higher-pitched than she'd originally imagined. "You're this famous newcomer everyone's been chatting about."

 _What?_ Rainstone thought, forcing her fur to lie flat. Who had been talking about her? And why did the Red Faction care so much? She was just a she-cat, nothing more.

Blackbird must've caught the curious look in her eyes. "Oh, yes," he drawled in a dramatic sigh, placing a paw to his chest, "we don't get many she-cats looking to join my faction, you see. Many start out as prisoners..."

Rainstone looked back at Blackbird's gray gaze. _He's testing me. He's seeing what my weaknesses are — what I like and don't like._ Despite the fact that she was horrified by the new information, she kept the mask on, blue eyes cold and disinterested. "Okay."

The black tom's gaze lit up even more. He looked over at Sable and flicked his tail. "Go guard, or whatever it is you do."

Sable dipped his head and turned on his heel, disappearing from the room.

"Now." Blackbird turned his attention back to Rainstone. "Why does a pretty she-cat like you want to join my faction?"

Rainstone forced her fur to lie flat. "I was exiled from my home," she lied. "I heard about the Red Faction and saw it as an opportunity to prove myself."

The tom tilted his head. "Why were you exiled?"

She frowned, flexing her claws. "They didn't like me very much." It was the half-truth, wasn't it? Maybe she'd left on her own accord, but DriftClan had never accepted her, and they never would.

Blackbird hummed in thought but seemed satisfied with the answers. "Well," he sighed, hesitating. "Look, I feel a little bad. If you don't already know, the ranks in this faction are... very tom-oriented. Yes, we have she-cats, but they are mainly used to create offspring. Nothing more."

Rainstone hid her disgust.

"Of course, most she-cats raised here are not taught to fight. They jump at shadows. They're just..." He shrugged. "Weak."

The blue-gray she-cat narrowed her eyes. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I want you to know that you're really going to have to prove yourself here..." Blackbird raised a brow and inclined his head forward.

"Rainstone," she answered.

"Rainstone." He smiled, white teeth showing, and rose to his paws. Every guard in the room dropped their heads into a bow. Bitterly, Rainstone did the same. "With me, please," he said, brushing by her. "Windy, Sable, Bane, with me." Three guards broke from their posts and followed behind.

She didn't ask questions. They walked through another labyrinth of hallways until they exited the building, scaling rooftops. The pink glow of dawn crested over the horizon and spread tufted streaks through the sky. Rainstone wondered if Twilighthaze was looking, too.

Several long, agonizing minutes of silence passed as they traveled. On a new building, Blackbird disappeared inside a hole and leapt his way to the floor, stacked furniture wobbling with his weight. Rainstone followed, paws shaking, but successfully made it to the ground. After the last guard had finished, Blackbird jerked his head forward. They were in a huge room, much like Blackbird's building, except now there were no rooms — just an open space.

Heavy metal bars curled from the ground and turned sharply towards the top of the ceiling. Rainstone frowned. _What is this?_

Blackbird looked at her. "This is our fighting ring."

Fighting ring. The cave was wide and long enough to fit several cats at once. Space outside of the cage had several Twoleg couches and chairs scattered around. _Do they sit here and watch this? In their free time?_

"Windy," Blackbird said, flicking his tail.

The gray she-cat looked at him silently.

"Go fetch one of the prisoners." He hummed. "Whichever one you think would be a challenge for Rainstone here."

She nodded and turned, scaling down more Twoleg stairs into an underground room.

Rainstone flicked her ears and turned her attention back to the cage. A large, heavy boulder was cast to the side, which Rainstone assumed was to block the hole in the side of it. _So when I'm inside, I won't be able to get out. I have to fight._ She thought about Archangel and knew that he had faith in her. _I might as well have faith in myself, too._

Luckily, Rainstone had been able to decipher the Red Faction's weakness already. They had too many cats and cared deeply about entertainment with their prisoners. _So I won't need to kill anyone. I'll injure them, immobile them, and win that way._ Rainstone was not a murderer. She didn't want to turn into one now.

Blackbird sighed and sat down, wrapping his plumy tail around his paws. "So, Rainstone," he said. The guards slowly backed away, standing at the edges of the room. "Tell me your story."

 _My story?_ Rainstone's gaze flickered from side to side. "Why?"

The black tom narrowed his eyes. "Because I _asked_." A hint of venom dripped into his voice.

Rainstone looked back at him. _He's already expecting respect. As if he's not making me fight against another cat to prove my worth!_ Swallowing her anger, she dully shrugged, averting her gaze. "I had a good family," she lied with ease. "My eldest brother was killed by foxes, so my parents decided to take me into a group of cats."

"Where?" Blackbird asked, almost excited.

 _I am definitely not telling you that._ "Far away. Their land touches the place where the sun sets."

The black tom tilted his head. "Go on."

"I was raised alongside others. But I was different. My parents eventually died so I had to grow up. Quickly. Unfortunately, that meant other cats didn't understand me. Especially cats my age." She nearly growled at the thought. Despite it mostly being a fable, not all of it was. The only cats that had ever made her feel worth something were Batstar and Twilighthaze. Pain pushed against her belly but Rainstone tried to ignore it. "So, once they realized I wasn't conforming to their code, they exiled me. Simple as that."

"Codes are important," Blackbird offered.

"Yes. But their codes were different." She scowled. "Elders ate first. Cats who couldn't even fight or hunt for the Clan were rewarded for sitting around!"

Blackbird's eyes widened. He scoffed. "I can't imagine," he said. "Just that alone would've made me leave before any exile."

Rainstone frowned, eyes shining. "Yes, I... I suppose that is how I felt."

The black tom eyed her. "I know that look." A laugh rumbled in his throat. "That's the look of... love, isn't it?"

The she-cat's eyes widened, caught off guard. "What?" she snapped, unable to control her voice.

Blackbird suddenly narrowed his eyes. Before she could move, he slammed his paw into her cheek, nearly dropping her to the ground. Rainstone heaved out a startled breath, head dizzy with the impact. _Stars_. She felt like Archangel right now. Luckily, the blow hadn't been too hard. "If you want to be in this faction," he growled, "you need to learn some respect. When I ask you a question, you answer. When I observe something, you say yes or no. Not 'what.' I am not some scoundrel you can talk back to. And I am not your friend."

 _Well, can I stand up then, Your Majesty?_ she thought bitterly, grinding her teeth together so she didn't snarl something back.

Blackbird stepped back. "So. Tell me. What was that look?"

 _What does this matter? Why do you care so much?_ Rainstone sighed and lifted herself to her paws, trying not to wobble. "Yes. It was... love. Respect," she forced out, rubbing her cheek. That was truly how she felt about Twilighthaze, wasn't it?

"I know." And suddenly the black tom seemed fine again, all hints of anger gone from his face. "I was once in love, you know. I understand what it's like. Now all I have is..." Blackbird waved his paw around. "Idiots guarding me and a family I don't want. Children that only disappoint me. A mate that cannot satisfy me." He looked at her, eyes flashing. "Do you ever feel that way, Rainstone?"

She opened and shut her mouth like an idiot. "Yes, I suppose," she said, jerking back when Blackbird lifted his paw.

He began to laugh, chest puffing with each ear-splitting cackle. "Oh, you are hilarious!" His paw dropped and he grinned. "You'll need to learn to control your reflexes. Don't worry. I can help with that."

 _I'd really rather you don't,_ she thought, but stayed quiet. Before Blackbird could continue, Windy reappeared from the stairs, dragging along a large gray-brown tabby tom with mangled, ratted fur. His blue eyes were dull and lifeless as he aimlessly followed Windy.

"Ah!" Blackbird said, clapping his paws. "Who might this one be?"

Windy shrugged. "He calls himself Rat."

The guards in the room burst into hysterical laughter. Blackbird smirked, amused, but Rainstone just looked at the prisoner. His paws were huge, muscles still rippling beneath his fur. _He looks underfed, but that doesn't mean he's weak._ Rainstone never underestimated her opponent. That always led to something bad.

"Well, _Rat_ ," Blackbird said, curing his lip. "You're being tested today. So go on, get in the cage." Rat began to walk there by himself. Windy hung back. "Yeah, that's right. Go on." He clambered into the cage. Blackbird turned his attention to Rainstone next. "Good luck. Don't die."

 _Don't die?_ Rainstone frowned and looked at Rat. She pulled her paws forward and ducked through the hole, entering the large cage. Rat stood completely across from her, taking a tired stance. Rainstone watched as another guard- Bane, she was pretty sure- pushed the large boulder over the hole, effectively locking them inside. _This is it._ She faced Rat, blue-gray dappled pelt prickling. _This is my only chance to show my skills. I_ have _to win._

Blackbird padded up to the cage, tilting his head. "Well," he sighed, eyeing Rat. "You may begin fighting now."

No cat moved for a moment. Then, before she knew it, Rat leapt. Rainstone skidded to the side, feeling the excitement flow through her veins, heart harshly pumping against her ribcage. She saw the glint of claws in her vision and ducked when Rat turned, snarling as he lashed out for her throat. _He's trying to kill me!_

Sympathy for this cat washed away and Rainstone matched his blows, pushing him backwards toward the edge of the cage. Rat snarled and ducked, sliding his claws against her chest. Stinging pain rushed through her skin and she cringed, jumping back, nearly wrenching her shoulder in the process. Rat pressed forward, thin tail lashing behind him, lips curled back into a snarl.

 _This isn't going to work._ She was already growing tired attempting to match his hard blows, and that was the last thing she needed right now. _I'm going to have to do something else._ She thought about her training with Wispywater and narrowed her eyes. _I need to tire him. The best way to do that..._ Moving her paws, Rainstone rolled out of the way and hopped back on her paws. Rat moved slower. Rainstone leapt beneath his stomach and raked her claws down his skin, feeling satisfied when he hissed in pain. She emerged on the other side of him, jumping out of the way of his claws.

"No!" Rat said, eyes shining with terror. Rainstone paused, caught off guard by the look. Why was he so scared? She wasn't going to kill him. He was fine. In her momentary trance, Rat found his chance and slammed his paw against her throat. The breath left Rainstone's chest and she flopped below him, gulping in air. Rat pushed his weight on top of her and leaned toward her, fangs right above her throat. Rainstone used her back paws to scrabble against his stomach, twisting and turning her head to avoid his jaws. _No! I can't die! I won't!_

Due to her scratching, Rat sunk his claws deeper into Rainstone's chest. Blood began to pool from the new wounds and, in a futile attempt to escape, she jerked forward and slammed their heads together. Rat staggered back, caught off guard. Rainstone scrambled to her paws, wobbling as the world tilted and turned. She swore she saw stars. _But I avoided death._ However, she didn't have as much time as she wanted. Rat was back in front of her and began to move as well, clawing against her flank and shoulders.

Rainstone was becoming even more exhausted. Rat was much larger than her, _and_ he was stronger. She was running out of ideas as well as hope. How could she expect to win against him?

Rat took initiative and nearly clawed her face, just missing her eye by an inch. Rainstone saw flashes of Batstar, of his clouded and scarred eye, and that scared her. She didn't want to be blind. She didn't want to die! _I am nothing like Batstar! I will not let myself go like this!_ And suddenly Rainstone saw tunnel vision as adrenaline pumped through her limbs, tingling her paws with anticipation. She once again matched Rat's blows and managed to overpower him, scratching against his skin, relishing the blood that trickled beneath her weight.

Rat began to breathe heavily and Rainstone pushed harder, faster, quicker. Rat faltered and she struck him hard against the head, knocking him to the ground. That familiar sense of power washed over her and she clawed his cheek, sinking her claws inside his chest as she stood on top of him. He flopped under her weight as she immobilized him. Rainstone breathed out and placed a paw on his head, keeping him down. Rat was bleeding all over and fur was scattered around the cage.

 _I won. I won._ Rainstone didn't let herself smile, but felt pride worm inside her heart. Archangel would be happy. And now she could find Lily! Oh, stars, this was turning out better than she'd originally thought. Not as if Rainstone had no wounds, but she would survive. And she'd help Robin survive, too.

"Wow." Blackbird stalked forward and smiled, standing outside of the cage. "Well done, Rainstone. For a moment there I really thought you were defeated. You... surprise me." He tilted his head.

Rainstone nodded slowly, still keeping Rat below her. "What now?" she breathed, ready to receive her job. As Archangel said, hopefully she'd become a Crafter.

Blackbird smiled. "Ambitious. I like it." But then his smile dropped and his eyes flashed, and Rainstone got a horrible feeling in her stomach. "Now kill him."

Rainstone froze, as did Rat under her. Her paws began to shake, eyes widening in shock. "K- kill?" she stuttered.

Blackbird furrowed his brows. "Yes. Kill him. Is that going to be a problem?"

Her mouth hung open as she looked down at the bleeding tom. She felt disgust and shame. "I-" Her voice died. "I don't think I can."

The black tom slammed his paws against the cage. "Do it, Rainstone!" he hissed. She flinched. "If you don't, you'll never become one of us. You'll become a prisoner and endure the same fate as this scavenger!" He pointed in disgust at Rat. " _Kill_. _Him_. He's useless. Worth absolutely nothing."

Rainstone trembled harder. Something ripped inside of her chest, pulling her apart by threads. _Kill him. Kill him or you become a prisoner. Kill him or be killed, Rainstone._ She felt trapped, and the hope flickered into a dull flame. Stars. There was pain. Pain because she needed this, needed to become a part of the Red Faction. She didn't want to be a prisoner — not when she'd fought so hard to be free from DriftClan.

The blue-gray she-cat closed her eyes and reopened them. Something burned behind her eyelids and she forced back the tears, emotion clawing in her throat. Her claws unsheathed, prickling against Rat's back as she rolled him on his back. He stared up at her, broken and helpless. "I'm sorry," she whispered, and in one swipe her claws slid over his throat. Rat gagged, pushing his paws to his throat, trying to stop the blood flow. He cried out in pain and Rainstone turned her head away, gurgling noises echoing in her ears. He was clinging on for life because of _her_.

She didn't cry. She didn't scream. She didn't even flinch. Blood stained Rat's brown-gray tabby fur, but he eventually stopped squirming and desperately gasping for air. His body went limp and his eyes stopped wavering. Rat's head dropped to the side and his blue eyes stared off into nothingness. _He's gone, Rainstone. He's gone._

Rainstone recognized the sound of the boulder moving, but was hardly able to shift towards the sound. Two guards came in and dragged Rat's body out first, streaks of blood trailing after him. She felt a presence next to her and turned. Blackbird blinked at her. "Come. We're going back to my room."

She wasn't sure she heard him right, but numbly nodded and followed anyway. By now the sun was mid-high, a clear blue sky flowing overhead. Rainstone didn't notice. Hardly looked. She could feel her claws tapping against the concrete. _Tap. Tap. Tap._ She looked down and saw blood stains, saw brown-gray fur wedged between her claws.

Rainstone wasn't sure how long it took, but they eventually made it to Blackbird's chambers. The black tom paused before his ledge, turning to Rainstone. "Are you ready to become one of us?" Blackbird asked.

She looked at him and blinked. What did he ask? She hardly knew, so just decided to nod. It seemed to appease him.

Blackbird bent his head forward. "Then in the light of the code, of the spirit that unites us all, I hereby pronounce Rainstone as a Runner." He unsheathed his claws and pressed against her shoulder. "The spirit demands a mark. Do you accept?"

She nodded wordlessly.

He unsheathed three claws and dug them into her skin. She tensed but didn't allow herself to whimper from the pain. Blackbird dragged his claws down her shoulder for what seemed like ages. He finally retracted, pulling away, and nodded at her.

Their scars were matching.

"The spirit accepts you. Rainstone, you are now a full member of the Red Faction," Blackbird said, dipping his head. She returned the motion, but still wasn't entirely sure what she was doing. "Bone will take you back to the Runner's camp." The brown tabby tom stepped forward from the side and nodded. Rainstone hadn't even noticed him. "Good luck, Rainstone. And good job today."

Rainstone nodded at him and turned, following behind Bone. Emotion hammered in her heart and eventually bled into her skin, her veins, her fur, her entire _being_. She felt black, like ink had stained her pelt, except it was inside, itching and clawing for freedom.

Now, she was soaked in black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh... this hurt, but was a very necessary chapter in Rainstone's story. Sorry for the false hope! I put some foreshadowing in there, so if you caught it....hopefully it wasn't as hard to read.
> 
> Anyway, yeah, new stuff soon! Rainstone needs to find Lily, Archangel's brother, and get a message to her group. How the heck is she supposed to do that?! If you have any theories~
> 
> Also, do you guys like Blackbird? He's a really fun character to write and I find myself liking him...a lot.
> 
> Well, that's it! Stay tuned for next chapter and I hope you enjoyed. Thanks so much for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the kill, Rainstone decides to find her group. She and Archangel, now her mentor, fight.

By the time they reached the Runners' camp again, the sun was dipping below the skyline, streaks of navy blue casting an eerie glow across the territory. Rainstone followed Bone down the garbage cans, paws hitting solid ground.

Several cats were gathered in the alleyway, fighting for scraps and talking amongst each other. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Archangel, staring at her with cold golden eyes. At this point, she couldn't even think about the real reason she was here. All she saw were Rat's cold, dead eyes, staring off into space as blood pooled around his limp body.

"Bone," a clipped voice said, snapping Rainstone out of her thoughts. She turned her head and made out Slate. "I take it she passed?"

Bone nodded. "Yes. She's now one of yours." He whisked his thick, scarred tail and looked at Rainstone. "Well? Get out of here."

The blue-gray she-cat stared at Bone numbly and turned, hardly recognizing what she was doing. However, Rainstone's paws led her straight to Archangel. A growl rumbled in his throat and he hooked his claws into her shoulder, pushing her inside one of the holes in the building. It was spacious enough to fit both of them, walls enclosed on all sides so no other cat was around. The cloth curtain shivered with the wind and drenched them in darkness, only the sunlight breaking through in jagged shafts.

"Why are you here?" Archangel immediately snarled, golden gaze flickering to her wounded shoulder. He curled his lip. "You were supposed to be a Crafter!"

Anger bubbled up inside Rainstone's chest. "What, do you think I had any choice over that?!" she spat, emotion welling in her throat.

The white tom scoffed. "Well, it looks like you already failed your mission." He shook his head. "Now we'll never find my brother! You're useless to me!"

Useless. The word rang in Rainstone's ears and she suddenly attacked, swiping her claws over Archangel's fur. He managed to duck out of the way and slammed his paws against her chest, pushing her down to the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?" Archangel asked incredulously, staring at her. "Attacking me is a good way to get yourself killed!"

"Maybe I should be!" she snarled back, eyes flecking with tears. The blue-gray she-cat scrambled out of his grasp, tail lashing behind her as she turned away.

Archangel was silent for a moment, eyes calculated as he stared. "The kill," is all he said.

She lost her breath, heart beating against her chest.

"I should have told you," he sighed. "I figured it wouldn't be a big deal."

Rainstone didn't have the emotional capacity to respond. Her throat was already burning, and she was afraid if any words came out of her mouth, she'd start sobbing. Her gaze flickered to her paws and she flinched back at the sight of the blood stained across her dark fur. Archangel visibly frowned and placed his tail on her shoulder. She snarled and raised her paw, nearly striking. This reminded her all too much of her kithood, how she'd attacked Thymekit after he'd touched her.

Archangel blinked at her, unfazed by the reaction. He turned deeper into the den, and Rainstone saw a small puddle. He dipped cloth into the water and paused before her claws. "May I?"

All she could do was nod.

The white tom lifted her paw, wiping the wet cloth down her claws. Crimson bled through the material and her vision turned foggy as memories rushed back, filling her head.

She inhaled, trying to control her labored breathing. "His name was Rat."

Archangel looked up. "What?"

Rainstone couldn't meet his gaze. "Rat. That was who I killed."

The white tom sighed, clearly unsure of how to respond. Silence thickened between them.

"I have to go see my group," she said.

Archangel paused mid-wipe, golden eyes narrowing. "You're not going anywhere. Haven't we discussed this?"

"I don't _care_!" she exclaimed, bushy tail lashing. Rainstone ripped herself out of the tom's grasp and her fur bristled with anger and disgust. "I left them. Who even knows if they're alive?! I was meant to protect them and instead I- I-" She gasped in a harsh breath and bent her head, terror clawing at her chest.

"Rainstone, calm _down_ ," Archangel said, stepping closer to her. Thankfully, he didn't try to touch her. "Look- I- there's no way you can see your friends again. I'm not letting you leave."

She snorted. "Oh, what, and _you're_ going to stop me? Tell that to Rat." Despite the grief she felt, there was power there, pulsing beneath her claws.

"I'm not a prisoner, nor am I malnourished. I believe I told you this already, but I've been trained in the alleys for far longer than you have. I've already offered to mentor you, so it's done. We must stick together," Archangel said, gaze narrowed.

Rainstone's head jerked up. "Mentor?" She thought about Wispywater and curled her lip. "I don't need _you_ to teach me anything! In fact, I know for a fact that if we fought right now, you wouldn't stand a chance-"

Archangel's paw was at her throat before she could even so much as take a breath. He held his weight there, standing right in front of her, claws unsheathed. "If I wanted," he said slowly, "I could slit your throat right now. If a mentor feels their apprentice should be punished, even if that is by death, it's valid. So don't test me, Rainstone. I'm not joking around." Archangel stepped back, growling. "Act like this in front of anyone else and I'll be forced to hurt you very badly."

Rainstone glared at him, forcing her claws to stay in their sheathes. She would control her temper, even if the frustration was gnawing inside. "Whatever," she snapped, whirling around to exit the cave.

"Nuh-uh," Archangel said, placing out a large white paw to stop her. "Mentors and apprentices sleep together. More room that way."

She stared at him, jaw slack. "You have _got_ to be kidding me."

"Unfortunately, no. I don't like this any more than you do, but if it means finding my brother, then I don't care." Archangel backpedaled and dropped into his nest. "You've had a long day. Tomorrow we'll start training."

"Great," she grumbled, finding her own separate nest. The anger was still very apparent, but Rainstone had an idea.

She would not fail her group.

The sun eventually cascaded bright colors along the horizon, and with the sunset came the moon. Something Rainstone had already figured out was Archangel's inability to go to sleep quickly. _Which makes this a lot harder for me._ Still, Rainstone could wait. She knew the difference between a sleeping cat and a cat that was a) still awake or b) pretending to sleep, and she wasn't about to make a mistake so early into her 'apprenticeship.'

So, when she finally heard the deep breaths of Archangel, Rainstone slowly rose to her paws. Making sure to be as quiet as possible, she pressed her paws down softly and kept her tail close to her body, still and silent as she slid out of the den. The moon was blowing silver light over the alleys, illuminating Rainstone's blue-gray dappled pelt. She pushed herself to the walls and looked around for any signs of Slate or Bone. Neither were in view.

Content, Rainstone clambered up one of the diagonal pipes and stalked across the rooftops of buildings. She kept low to the ground, blue eyes sharp for any signs of movement. However, the night was silent.

Perhaps going to find and speak to her group wasn't exactly the best call right now. However, Rainstone was growing impatient, and she wasn't happy to be restricted by another wannabe Clan. _I joined to help Archangel, didn't I? Well, I think he can get over one night out!_ Grunting, Rainstone continued to travel along rooftops, scaling buildings and letting the open air flow beneath her as she jumped. She could recognize the outskirts of Red Faction territory, where clumped buildings grew wider apart, and where larger houses parted the way into vast neighborhoods. _I'm so close! Not much farther now..._

"What do you think you're doing?"

The voice caused Rainstone to freeze in place. Her paws rooted into the ground and her spotted tail whipped behind her. _Stars. How did he know I'd left?_ Turning, Rainstone faced Archangel, brows tight. "I'm doing the same thing I've been wanting to do since you found me. Return to my group and tell them what's going on!"

The white tom tutted and shook his head, stepping forward. Rainstone stepped back. "I've already told you. I can't let you do that. You wouldn't want Blackbird to know about this, would you?"

She curled her lips into a snarl. "As if you'll tell. You need me to find your brother."

"Not anymore. You're worthless to me, since you failed to even be put in another job. I have no problem turning you into my father. And since you've pissed me off," he added, voice harsher, "I might just kill you."

Rainstone's gaze darted to the alley below her. _If I can jump from the wall to the trash can, I'll have a head start. I can outrun him._

"I know what you're thinking, Rainstone," Archangel said in a low voice. "Don't even try it. You know you won't be able to escape."

"Are you sure about that?" she taunted, paws prickling with anticipation. Rainstone carefully watched the way he stood, making sure to take in every detail, every flex of muscle, every twitch. _I will not let him stop me. Not this time._

Archangel's claws ticked and Rainstone saw the whisk of his tail, the twitch of his whiskers, the gleam in his golden eyes. _He's going to pounce. He's going to. You have about three seconds before—_

Archangel leapt.

Rainstone scrabbled out of the way, claws scarring against brick, twisting and turning her body as she avoided his claws. She turned and held onto another diagonal pipe, trailing the side. She pushed her paws off of the wall and landed on a trash can, knocking it over as she dropped to the ground. Rainstone could hear the enraged snarls behind her, but she wasn't going to stop. _I will never stop. I won't!_

She dashed through dark alleyways, pants heavy as she sprinted. Wind whipped across her fur and blew her whiskers back, cold air stinging her eyes. _Come on, come on...._ Up ahead, a tall chain-link fence stood in the way of freedom. _No!_ She reached the edge of Red Faction territory and slammed her paws against the fence, feeling it wobble under her weight. _No, no, no!_ Rainstone could hear the pawsteps thudding behind her, growing closer and closer with Archangel's growls.

And then she spotted a cleft in the wall and bunched her muscles, leaping and pulling herself up. She yelped in shock when Archangel burst forward out of nowhere, snapping pearly white fangs at her. She clawed his cheek and jumped, hooking her claws on the chain link and crawling up. Rainstone managed to make it over and hit the ground with a thud, wasting no time in propelling herself forward. A thunderpath was ahead but she quickly ran through, swerving through cars as they flew down the path.

Rainstone was sure she'd lost Archangel by now, but to her shock, hard teeth clamped onto her tail and jerked her back. She flew backwards and whirled around, clawing at Archangel's chest. He snarled and slammed his paw into her face, skiddering her to the ground. Rainstone groaned and attempted to stand, but Archangel was already on top of her, pushing his weight on her throat. "Now look what I have to do," he growled. "Kill you because you couldn't follow a simple order. I'm just doing you a favor. You would have never survived with your kind of attitude."

All air was pushed back into her lungs, filling up her chest until she felt she might burst. Desperation overtook any logical assessment of the situation, and before she knew it, Rainstone was using her full force to fling Archangel off, gulping in oxygen as she did so. She reared forward and slammed his paw on his head, disorienting him, and threw her claws to his throat. She landed on top of him and pinned him down, blue eyes gleaming with something unreadable. Everything in her mind screamed _Kill him! Kill him! Slash his throat!_ And Archangel expected it, too.

But then Rainstone saw blood pool around her paws, except it wasn't Archangel's — it was Rat's. It stained her fur crimson and seeped into her skin, bleeding through and tainting the entirety of her being. Rainstone gasped and jerked back, off of Archangel, and cried out, paws slamming on her head as she dropped to the ground. "Oh, no," she cried desperately. "Make it stop. Make it stop!"

She didn't even care if Archangel killed her now. In fact, she cared about nothing other than the blood filling her ears and pulsing through her head. Voices bounced around as memories, pushing harshly against her temple. _Twilighthaze would be horrified if he knew where I was now,_ she thought, and all she saw were his deep blue eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks as Rainstone said goodbye. _I hope he knows I love him. That wherever I go, I'll always love him. Because... I'm never going to see him again._

She expected hot, searing pain along her throat; expected her belly to be sliced open; expected Archangel to at least do something. But... he didn't. In fact, nothing happened at all. Rainstone managed to push her trembling paws away from her face and squeezed open her eyes, watching Archangel carefully lick his bleeding wounds. Confusion swept through her. _He's... not going to kill me?_

"I'm not going to do anything," Archangel said as if he'd read her mind, swiping his tongue down his white pelt. He paused, looking at Rainstone with a half-lidded gaze. And it was there that she saw the vulnerability swimming in his eyes, the mask crumbling. "I've... I've done bad things, Rainstone. Things you would never want to know," Archangel admitted. "And I don't want to be a bad cat anymore. I want to find my brother, unite him with my sister, and I want to _leave_. Take my family and just... run away."

Rainstone narrowed her eyes. "Why the sudden change of heart?" she asked, genuinely shocked. "You can kill me now and get it over with. I'm practically letting you." _Maybe I deserve it._

He quickly shook his head. "Because... I see you now." Archangel met her gaze, golden on light blue. She shivered. "Your mask is coming undone. And I see something I haven't ever seen in another cat. Your vulnerability... it makes you _strong_. I have never met a cat that used such strong emotion to win her battles, and it intrigues me."

Rainstone's blue dappled pelt prickled and she averted her gaze. "What, so I'm some test subject?" she muttered.

"No. You're... a cat. A living, breathing cat. I'm tired of taking lives. Tired of being evil. So I'm not going to do anything."

"Archangel..." She frowned. "You're not evil. You've just grown up in this place, and it's ruining your life. It isn't your fault."

His gaze hardened. "Not my fault?" he snarled, claws sinking into the grassy ground underneath. His tail whipped back and forth. "Not my _fault_? I killed a kitten, Rainstone. A three-month-old kitten, all because it was kill or be killed. All because my father demanded it." Archangel's voice broke. "It's the worst thing I've ever done, Rainstone. I regret it every single day. Because, in the end, what does it matter if I live? If I have to suffer — if other lives have to suffer because of me — then is anything really worth it at all?"

Rainstone's chest tightened with the confession. _He killed a kit. A defenseless kit._ The anger blew through her for a moment, but when she looked into his golden eyes, she didn't see evil. She didn't see pride for what he'd done. She saw true regret. _He was a kit once, too, wasn't he? The violence he saw must've been unimaginable. It shaped him, shaped his father, and his father before him._ And Rainstone had to remind herself that she'd done the same thing. She'd killed a malnourished prisoner all because she wanted to live. So, in a lot of ways, they were alike. They were the same. And all Archangel wanted was reassurance. Support. Something he'd probably never received before.

"I..." Rainstone suddenly had a hard time finding her voice. Archangel looked at her. "When I was young, my family was killed in front of me. My brother tried to protect me from the foxes, and my parents fought, but were ultimately killed. The rest of my siblings left me to die." Her teeth ground together and emotion welled in her throat. "I grew up angry. Alone. I hated others for judging me, so I decided that I would judge them first. And..." She laughed. "And I tried to push everyone away. But someone worked their way into my heart, and I swear, he was the only cat I ever truly loved."

Archangel frowned. "What happened?"

"It doesn't matter," she said quickly, not wanting to get into the reason she left DriftClan. "What matters is that I was broken, but I had a cat that helped me. A cat that supported me undoubtedly. And you... you deserve that too, Archangel." Rainstone pulled herself to her paws, swaying forward. "So... you don't have to be alone anymore. We can do this, together."

Archangel's eyes watered. "You really mean that?"

"I really do."

He hesitated, standing before her, and took a step forward, breath shaky. Rainstone forced herself not to flinch away from the close contact. It felt wrong — Archangel's scent was smoke and petrol and dust, but she was so used to Twilighthaze, so used to soil and moss and cedarwood. The change was admittedly jarring, but something deep inside told her that everything would be okay. And so she nodded. Archangel breathed and pressed himself into her shoulder, bending his head and pushing his muzzle into her fur. They stood, locked in embrace for several moments, and Rainstone felt her heart quiet in her chest. Blood was no longer pounding in her ears. It felt like she and Archangel were on a completely different plane from the world, engrossed only in each other. The rest of the city didn't matter. _Nothing_ mattered except... this.

Rainstone finally pulled away, shaking slightly. "We... we should go see my group."

Archangel nodded slowly. "Okay."

She nodded and turned, leading the way. It felt so natural to do so, and she was suddenly very comfortable in her place, so comfortable that she nearly missed Gingersnap's familiar backyard. Rainstone paused, jerking back, and Archangel stopped along with her. "There." She flicked her tail and bunched her muscles, jumping on top of the fence and dropping to the other side. Archangel followed.

It was dark, so most cats were asleep. However, Widow was on guard, and her eyes widened when she spotted Rainstone. "Oh my!" she whisper-yelled. "You- you're okay!"

Rainstone nodded. "Yes, I'm fine," she assured, looking at the rest of the group. "I'm sorry I was gone. I couldn't make it back until now."

Widow quickly shook her head. "No, it's fine." Her eyes narrowed when she finally noticed Archangel. "Who is this?" Her hackles raised.

"It's okay," Rainstone quickly said, pushing out a paw. "It's fine. He's with me, from the Red Faction."

Widow's eyes widened. "The _Red Faction_?" she said harshly. "Rainstone, they... they're dangerous! He's going to turn us in!"

"He's _not_ ," Rainstone said, voice more on edge.

The loud whispers roused Hoot from her sleep. She blinked open her eyes and froze, looking at Rainstone. "Oh!" she exclaimed, then lowered her voice, rushing over to join them. "You back?"

Archangel gave Rainstone a look. She waved him off. "Yes, we're back." She nodded. "This is Archangel. He's from the Red Faction."

Hoot flicked her tail. "Robin back!"

Rainstone froze. "Wait, what?"

"Yes!" she said. "Twoleg bring back. He resting."

"It's true."

The strange voice caused all four eyes to drop on Gingersnap. Rainstone's hackles lifted and Archangel eyed her, but kept his jaws shut. The anger began to pulse, flowing through her paws, and before she knew it Widow was holding her back by the shoulders. "Rainstone!" she yelled. "Calm down!"

The other sleeping cats began to rise, blinking at the others with confusion. Badger wiped his eyes. "You're back?"

"What's going on?" Anastasia asked, worried, wrapping her tail around Zephyr.

Charcoal was glaring at Gingersnap.

"Don't get your fur in a twist," the kittypet snickered, stretching his limbs lazily. "Your friend's fine... for now."

"What does that mean?" Charcoal demanded, tail bushing as he stalked up to the group. "You said he was safe! Just resting!"

"He is." Gingersnap nodded. "But time's running out, my dear Rainstone. If you aren't able to deliver Lily to me in the next half-moon...." He sighed. "Your little bird won't be living much longer. And only I know where he is."

"You-" Spit flew from Charcoal's lips and, once more, Widow had to hold him back.

"Stop," Rainstone commanded. All eyes went to her and she glared at Gingersnap. "Let me see him, then. To make sure he's okay like you say he is. Then I'll find Lily."

Gingersnap frowned. "It wouldn't be much of a secret if I showed everyone where he was, now would it?"

"I'll close my eyes?" she suggested.

The kittypet's gaze flickered to Archangel. "What's his business here?"

The white tom immediately realized he was being spoken to. His shoulders slumped slightly and his ears flicked back. Just the physical changes alone made him seem like a completely different cat. "I'm Snowy," he lied with ease. "I'm looking for my brother."

Gingersnap looked slightly intrigued. "Your brother, huh? What's he look like? Maybe I've seen him around."

'Snowy' didn't show his discomfort, but Rainstone recognized it quickly. _He doesn't like talking about his brother, huh?_ "He's a hard cat to miss," the tom finally said. "He's white, like me, except he has brown tufts along his back. He also has thick brown fur around his throat. Like a mane, of sorts. Brown ringed tail."

The kittypet's eyes lit up. "Oh! I think I know who you're talking about! Golden eyes? Like yours?"

Archangel perked up. "Yes, you've seen him?" Excitement flooded into his voice, overtaking the mask. "Where? Was he okay? Did you speak to him?"

Gingersnap huffed. "Yeah, I talked to him... he asked me if I knew of any cat named... Archangle or somethin'."

Despite the mispronunciation of his name, Rainstone knew exactly what that meant. _He's looking for Archangel, too?_

The white tom stiffened. His golden eyes widened slightly but he regained his composure. "Huh," he said in a low voice. "Don't know him. Uh, anyway." Archangel coughed. "Where was this, again?"

Gingersnap turned and waved. "About three blocks down. There's a lion hedge in the front of someone's lawn — that's where I was sitting when he came up to me."

Archangel's fur prickled with anticipation. "Thank you." He dipped his head, and Rainstone could see the excitement there. Sometimes she wished she had a sibling to feel that way about.

Gingersnap motioned toward the silent group. "You have no affiliation with these cats, Snowy?"

He shook his head. "No. Like I said, just tagging along."

"Great!" Gingersnap gave a toothy smile. "You can come with us, and I'll tell you more about what I saw. In the meantime..." The tom suddenly rolled off of the fence onto the other side, shielded for a moment. When he hopped back up, a long, thick vine hung from his jaws. "Tie that around her eyes." He motioned toward Rainstone and she stiffened. "Then we can get going." He dropped the vine.

Archangel hesitated. Finally, he stepped forward, clasping the vine in his jaws and turning to Rainstone. Her heart beat against her chest. "Wait, no, I don't think-"

"Shut up," he muttered, "and put the blindfold on. You're fine." She had no time to react because Archangel was already slipping it over her head, tying the end so it didn't slip off. Flashes of foxes, blood, Twilighthaze, and more filled up her head. Rainstone truly hated the dark sometimes, but knew she had to be strong for her group. For Robin. And besides, this was ample time to give Archangel information on his brother. Didn't that mean she wasn't 'useless' anymore? Perhaps not.

"All right," Gingersnap said from somewhere. Archangel steered Rainstone forward. "We'll return after our little chat with Robin. Try not to cause too much ruckus now!" He laughed and she could hear him turn, leading the way.

"Jump up," Archangel ordered, and she did, scrabbling her claws on the fence. "Jump to the ground." Again, Rainstone followed. She swayed slightly, thoughts jumbling around her head. The images were fleeting, flashing once at a time. There was one, though. One that simply didn't go away.

Rat's cold, dead blue eyes.

In the end, it was truly worse than anything she'd ever experienced before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry this is a few days late, it took me a bit to get this chapter out, however, I did it!
> 
> In roleplay we finally got to the scene where Rainstone leaves DriftClan and says goodbye to Twilighthaze. And jeez, if I've never cried like that over a roleplay before... it was so sad. Seriously. I'll definitely be including some of those lines in some snippets of Rain's backstory later on! (And I may or may not be obsessed with Archangel...)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment and tell me what you think. Hope you enjoy~! You're all amazing!


	8. Chapter 8

"So, you're from around here?"

"Yes."

"You live nearby?"

"Not particularly."

"Oh. Well, I'm happy I could help with your brother," Gingersnap chirped.

Archangel was quiet for a moment. "You're sure it was him?"

"Hawthorne? Oh, yeah. Right down to the last detail. Dunno which cat he was looking for, though."

"That's fine. Thank you."

Rainstone grunted when she was guided over another fence. Her paws were dragging against the cold stone underneath, pads rubbed raw from the concrete. As she listened to Archangel and Gingersnap's conversation, Rainstone wondered for a moment why Hawthorne was looking for his brother, too. _They must really want to find each other._ She supposed if Brick was still alive she'd feel the same way. _But he's not._

"We're nearly there," Gingersnap said.

"Great," Rainstone grumbled. It was still night, but she wasn't sure she and Archangel would make it back to the Red Faction before dawn. She realized that she'd been awake for a long time, much too long for her, and the ache in her muscles was pulsing angrily. Her stomach groaned for prey, and even eating was something Rainstone had forgotten about. _Stars_. The stress of the situation weighed down her shoulders a little more than usual.

"We're here!" Gingersnap suddenly said as they jumped another fence. The vine was ripped from her head and Rainstone jerked back, caught off guard. Archangel blinked at her and turned, gazing at a door. The kittypet pointed with his tail. "He's in there."

Rainstone frowned. "You're sure he's okay?"

"Stop worrying," Gingersnap said, waving a paw dismissively. "If anyone can fix him, it's a human."

_A human? Is that a Twoleg?_ Rainstone twitched her ears and seriously doubted that. Twilighthaze would've been able to heal Robin much quicker and with much less blackmail. A small growl rumbled in her throat, but it died when Archangel flicked her with his plumy white tail.

"Snowy can stay out here with me," Gingersnap continued with a smile. "I don't talk to a whole lot of other housecats! They don't like me much."

Archangel rolled his eyes and muttered, "I wonder why..."

Rainstone raised a brow and shrugged, leaving her mentor to be tortured by Gingersnap's non-stop chattering. She whisked her dappled tail and pawed her way through a flap in the door, blinking to adjust her gaze to the darkness of the room. Shadows splashed across the walls, only slivers of light from the moon flooding in. Near the couch, Rainstone spotted a dark shape slumped in a soft housecat nest. As soon as she saw the red and gray fur, Rainstone knew it was him. "Robin?" she asked, stepping close. No answer. "Robin?"

The tom shifted slightly, indicating that he was still alive. Rainstone let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. _Thank the stars_. "Mmhm?" Robin groaned, slowly twisting his head around to gaze at Rainstone. "Oh. It's just you."

"Yeah. Just me," Rainstone growled, sliding forward. She observed the younger tom's wounds, eyes flickering over his body. Really, the only thing worth noting was the white cast bound around his leg. "What in the world is wrong with you?"

He glared at her. "What do you mean?"

"I saw you," she said angrily. "In the middle of the road. You saw that car coming, but you still didn't move. I mean- are you stupid?"

"Yeah, I must be," he snapped, turning away from her with a daft look.

She gazed at him, ears flicked back. Something didn't add up, and suddenly, everything clicked together in her mind, gears turning as she realized what she'd missed. "You wanted that car to hit you."

Robin froze, eyes widening. It only took a moment, but then he was back to himself, growling slightly. "So what if I did? Why do you care so much?" He placed his paws on his head. "Just leave me alone!"

Rainstone forced herself not to whack him. "You idiot! You're so selfish you were going to let that car run over you? Leave your family?"

The bicolored tom whirled around. "You have no idea what it's like!" he snarled, claws unsheathing, lips curled back into a snarl. "My father hates me. My mother is always looking for a reason to blame him. I mean, he doesn't even hide the fact that he goes off with other she-cats. But we stay with him anyway, because my mother is weak and broken. Because she doesn't want what's best for us — she just wants to argue all the time. And I'm _tired_ of it." He shook his head and averted his gaze, voice slightly lowering. "Besides. My father owes the Red Faction. We shouldn't be here."

Rainstone's head jerked up. "Wait, what?" Why was she just now hearing about this? _Charcoal was with the Red Faction? He never said anything!_

Robin scoffed. "Oh, he didn't tell you? Yeah. He owes them _big time_." The tom averted his gaze angrily. Rainstone pricked her ears, enthralled, but Robin didn't continue.

"And?" Rainstone prompted.

The bicolored tom looked at her, eyes narrowed. "What? Why do you care, anyway?"

Rainstone was quiet for a moment. She sucked in a breath through her teeth and sighed, pawing at the ground. "After you were hit, Gingersnap- the cat that helped you-"

"Ugh. That annoying housecat?" Robin muttered.

"Yes. Well, he said he'd only help you if I went and found his friend. I ended up getting caught up with the Red Faction, and now I'm a part of them. Of course, just for now, until I find Gingersnap's friend." Rainstone decided not to mention Archangel or the extra quest to find his brother.

Robin scoffed. "Well, I'm not surprised my father hasn't said anything."

"What does he owe them?"

"I don't know. But what I _do_ know is that Charcoal was willing to trade me in as a peace offering for whatever it is he owed Blackbird." He looked away. "It backfired and my father made us leave, which is when my parents began fighting. I don't think they ever worked it out, but we ended up leaving and then, well, now we're back. I don't know why my mother ever agreed. She knows something is going on."

Rainstone narrowed her eyes.

The silence issued Robin to continue. "I guess... look, I overheard my father earlier. I thought he'd come to visit me, but it turns out he was just talking to Gingersnap. Of course." He growled angrily. "I pretended to be asleep and listened. Charcoal was saying something about how my accident was 'perfect timing' and he's ready to move on with the next stage, but Gingersnap still needs Lily first."

"Needs her for _what_? What next stage?" Rainstone pressured.

"I mean, I don't know _exactly_ , but once you bring Lily back, Gingersnap is going to kill me then slave my mother off to the Red Faction."

Rainstone swore she could hear her heart thundering in her ears. Betrayal clawed at her chest, and for a moment, she could hardly think clearly over the rage. "And you haven't tried to _escape_?!"

Robin looked at her and scoffed. "Did you not hear anything I told you? I don't care about living! I tried to- to-!" His voice faltered and he pushed his ears back, tone becoming softer. "I don't care about my life, okay? Gingersnap can do with me what he likes."

"But what about your mother? Surely you'd want to warn her?"

"I hate my family. I don't care what happens to her, or my father."

Rainstone couldn't hold back a sneer. The little brat! "You're selfish," she spat, fur bushing.

"Thanks, Rainstone. You're definitely paving the way to making me feel better."

"Well, you're going to be dead soon, so what does it matter?" she hissed.

Robin narrowed his eyes, tail twitching angrily. "Get out."

She curled her lips. "My pleasure." Rainstone turned and shoved her way out of the Twoleg den, fury clawing at her chest. Her blue eyes were narrowed as she caught sight of Archangel sitting, being bombarded by questions from Gingersnap.

"We're leaving," she growled, stomping past without saying anything else.

Archangel looked at her with a half-lidded gaze and rose to his paws, tail flicking out. "Alright."

Gingersnap hopped up. "Wonderful."

"Not you," Rainstone growled, whipping around to face the brown tom.

Gingersnap gaped at her. "Not me? But I can't just let you wander off! This place is a secret!"

"I don't care!" she snarled. "Piss off!" Rainstone turned on her paws and leapt the fence, ignoring the angry snarls and making her way down the sidewalk. Rage burned underneath her pelt, simmering against her skin, just waiting to be released. She wanted to kill someone.

_Charcoal's been double dealing,_ she thought with a snarl. _He came back here on purpose- planned all of it out- just to get Robin and Widow out of his life, just to pay his debt back to the Red Faction._ There was a red haze specking around her eyesight; Rainstone was sure she could kill someone right now.

"Rainstone... Rainstone!" a voice drifted in, growing louder and louder. She didn't stop as Archangel widened his strides to catch up to her, eyes dark. "What happened?"

"Charcoal is a liar," she spat, shaking her head, claws unsheathing. Despite the horrible emotions that swelled when she thought of Rat's death, Rainstone was pretty sure she'd be fine with murdering Charcoal.

"Explain yourself," Archangel prompted.

She shook her head and scoffed. "He's known this entire time. He planned with Gingersnap to have him take Robin away- his accident was perfect timing. He has a debt to the Red Faction he needs to pay off, so Gingersnap is helping him by making _me_ get Lily back." Rainstone laughed hysterically. "I swear, Archangel, I'm going to _kill him._ "

Rainstone wasn't entirely sure why the betrayal was hitting her heart so badly. She'd tried to trust these cats, but of course Charcoal had gone behind her back. Of _course_ Robin was a selfish little brat. Why would Rainstone ever catch a break?

But maybe it's because betrayal reminded her of Twilighthaze, and Twilighthaze always brought back emotions Rainstone certainly didn't want to deal with. He'd chosen his dumb Clan over her, and now look where Rainstone was- picking up the pieces of a broken family and a faction of tyrants.

Quiet.

Rainstone pushed in ragged breaths, claws tearing through grass. Her anger was building, building, building, until she was sure the dam wouldn't hold any longer.

"There's something else," Archangel finally said with narrowed eyes. "It's not just Charcoal."

Silence thinned between both of them. Rainstone turned her head away, paws shaking for a moment as she thought of _him_. Her eyes closed and darkness swamped her vision- then there was a flash of gray fur, black ears, bright and kind blue eyes blinking back at her...

_Tears spilled out of Twilighthaze's eyes, the moon cascading silver light against the slopes of DriftClan. "Don't you ever think for a second that... that you're not lovable. Rainstone, there's not a thing about you that doesn't make my- my heart flutter or my stomach drop. I want nothing more than to love you and treat you the way you should be, but- but what if LightClan turned on you? You may not believe in them, but why tempt them? I don't want to have to choose, but if they hurt you, I would never be able to forgive myself."_

Rainstone blinked, and the gaping wound wedged inside her heart burst open, staining her insides black. Her jaws gaped as she tried to think of something to say, but nothing came out. Why should she be obliged to tell Archangel anything about herself? Especially something about _Twilighthaze_. He was her secret. She didn't want to give him up yet, didn't want to give up hope that she'd never see him again. But... as time went on, she was beginning to realize that she'd never return to DriftClan. _Twilighthaze will move on eventually, and if you go back... things will fall apart like they always do. Don't be selfish. Finish your time here and move on._

So maybe she could talk about him, for just a moment. But she and Twilighthaze had a very special and sacred relationship- something Rainstone was sure she'd never find again. _No one ever cared for me as much as Twilighthaze did._ He'd been the one cat to worm his way into her heart- to listen to her when no one else did, to calm her down when she felt like the world had turned against her, to go out at dawn and adventure with her just because she wanted to...

_And he'd chosen his rank as medicine cat over me._

The hurt pulsed beneath her ribcage, beating angrily against her skin. Rainstone pushed a paw to her face, gritting her teeth when the forming tears didn't disappear upon her command. _You're getting soft!_ Angry, she lashed her tail and stood, ready to move on, ready to _kill_ Charcoal-

"Rainstone." A paw touched her shoulder and she flinched at the softness. Archangel was standing, intense golden eyes staring back into hers.

She blinked. _He wants to talk to me._ Rainstone wasn't sure how she knew, but something deep inside told her that's exactly what he wanted- to get to know her. To understand her. _But no one will ever really acknowledge who I am...not like Twi did._

Rainstone swallowed and forced herself to sit. Archangel followed suit, gaze not leaving hers for a long while. She breathed in and kneaded at the ground, tufted ears flicking back. "I was in love, once," she said softly, staring at the shards of grass bouncing beneath her paws.

Archangel was silent.

_She inhaled thickly and closed her eyes, reopening them after a few moments. "I know you are dedicated to your Clan," she finally said. "And I know....when Darkflutter retires, you need to be there for your Clanmates..." A few stray tears involuntarily leaked out of her eyes. "I love you, Twi." Rainstone's voice broke. "I love you so much, you don't even know....I can't...I can't explain it, but when I'm away from you, I feel like I might just die." Admitting the truth like this was hard, so painful, but wasn't this something she had to do? Rainstone knew now that she couldn't convince him of anything. Couldn't persuade or manipulate him into thinking LightClan was fake. Because to him, it was real. And unfortunately, nothing she did would ever be able to change that._

"His name was Twilighthaze." Her throat closed up and her eyes watered with tears she was too exhausted to blink away. "When I told you before... that there was a cat that supported me undoubtedly... that was Twi." The ghost of a smile graced Rainstone's lips. "He was... beautiful. Truly. The most graceful cat you've ever met. His kindness was so new to me, so foreign, and something about him changed the way I viewed the world."

Archangel blinked. "Go on," he said after a moment of silence.

_"I get it now," she said softly, pushing her muzzle into Twilighthaze's fluffy neck fur. A sob escaped her lips, because stars, she didn't want to do this! Rainstone wanted to be selfish and angry and frustrated! But... but this was right. "I'm just distracting you from your duties. I- I get that now." Her voice was slightly muffled by his fur and Rainstone reluctantly pulled away. "You dedicate your life to DriftClan...I'll never understand why, but you do. And I'm just- I'm just hindering that from you. I'm pulling you away from something you love. And even-" She cried softly. "Even if you love me, you want to help cats, save them, protect them...I'm not good. I'm bad. I wanted to kill a pregnant cat just because she hurt you. And- and that's not something a good cat would think! Not something a good cat could even imagine! You're... you're a good cat, Twi. A great one. I'm... rotten." She puffed out a breath. "So....I'm... I'm not gonna be selfish anymore. I want you to live your life without having to worry about me, or feel bad, or...or anything. So this is all on me." Rainstone closed her eyes. "I think it's best, once and for all, that I leave DriftClan."_

Rainstone looked forward, and suddenly, everything inside her chest sweltered and twisted. She could physically feel the pain shoot webs through her chest, and the pressure of a sob welled in the back of her throat. "He..." Rainstone breathed, attempting to regain her composure. "He was the only cat I've ever truly loved." And she'd left him. _She'd left him._

She let the words sit there, let them work their way into her heart and truly sink into her soul. Rainstone's tail whipped back and forth and she sucked in a breath through her canines, tufted ears twitching. Archangel did not speak

"We need a plan," she said.

Archangel looked at her strangely, as if he'd expected her to continue, but brushed the festering thoughts away as he followed her words. "Indeed."

Silence.

Rainstone glared at him. "Any time, now!"

His golden eyes widened. " _Me_? I apologize, Rainstone, but I really do not care about Charcoal or your debt to Gingersnap. All I want is to find my brother."

Her claws hooked into the ground and fury lapped in her gaze. "We had a deal! I find your brother and you take on Lily as your slave!"

Archangel sighed wistfully. "Yes, but Gingersnap has given me so much information. I'm not entirely sure why I need you anymore."

Rainstone wouldn't show it, but his remark genuinely hurt. She'd had the notion that they were getting along quite well for cats with their temperaments, and yet Archangel was willing to throw everything away just like that. _Almost like Twilighthaze_ , she thought bitterly. Whatever. She and Archangel didn't have to be friends. Rainstone wasn't going to let herself be fooled by some dumb tomcat, anyway. Not when everything was on the line.

"Fine," Rainstone snapped, shoving herself to her paws. "Go back on your word, I don't care. But don't expect me to save your tail once you get caught snooping around for your brother. Do you think Daddy will be any more lenient on you than he would with me?"

Something sharp flashed in Archangel's gaze. "What are you insinuating?"

"Nothing. You're very paranoid, although I have to admit, you're giving me ideas." She turned back toward the sprawling towers of the city, eyes narrowed. "But unlike you, I'm not some low-life who feeds off the hate and negativity of others. I have a plan, and honestly, at this point, I couldn't care less if we're friends or not. Enjoy fending for yourself." She began to walk, away from Archangel and away from the neighborhood hedges, ready to return to the Red Faction, ready to save Lily and help her group—

An irritated groan caused her ears to flick back. Archangel widened his steps to catch up with her, glaring. "Fine. We're still in this together."

"Are we?"

"Yes." A pause, and for a moment, Archangel hesitated. "I'm... sorry."

Rainstone stopped in her tracks. She furrowed her brows and looked at him like he'd grown a second head. Archangel was apologizing? _Sincerely_? Huh. "It's... fine," she said slowly, giving him a look.

The white tom's shoulders smoothed. "Wonderful. What is your plan?"

She sighed softly. "Well, first, we're going to need to capture a rogue or a kittypet." Rainstone swallowed her shame. "I will take this cat to Blackbird and hopefully the offer will give us time to talk again. If I can get on his good side, maybe even become one of his guards, I'll have a much better chance of being able to visit the Crafters' camp. That means I'll find your brother."

Archangel looked impressed. "All right, I'm sure we can manage that. We'd best hurry, though." He looked up at the sky. "Dawn will come eventually and my father does not take kindly to his cats disappearing in the middle of the night."

She glanced at him. "When does your first shift begin?"

"An hour before dawn. By the time we return, Slate shouldn't be suspicious, and I'll just tell him I took you along for training." Archangel looked her up and down. "I don't actually have to train you, do I?"

"No," Rainstone growled, claws unsheathing. "And don't even think of trying."

He nodded. "Good. Let's get going, I know a hotspot for rogues."

She watched him pad off, brows raised and furious thoughts long forgotten. A smirk played on her lips. "Fine. Lead the way, boss."

Maybe things weren't so bad, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I'm the worst for not updating! I really have no other excuse other than a lack of motivation, stress, and working on some other fics.
> 
> This wasn't the longest chapter by any means, and I know it was a lot of filler, but it's definitely necessary! I plan for this book to have around 15~ chapters, maybe less, so we'll be getting to the Big Plot™ soon, don't ya worry!
> 
> Next chapter we once again meet Blackbird, and Rainstone gets a surprising request. Hopefully I can get the next one out sooner rather than later and not wait another two months lol. 
> 
> Also, the italicized flashbacks are from the roleplay my friend and I did when Rainstone left DriftClan! Full credit to her for Twilighthaze's heartbreaking lines. 
> 
> Thanks for tuning in! Hope you enjoyed the chapter- please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path!


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